


Snap, Crackle, Pop

by yeolish



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Chanyeol is smitten, First Meetings, Flirting, Frottage, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Sehun is a geek and figurine collector
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:42:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27632255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeolish/pseuds/yeolish
Summary: Sehun is a massive geek and an avid figurine collector. Chanyeol is the poor idiot who bumps into him and makes him drop his expensive figurine.
Relationships: Oh Sehun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 13
Kudos: 115
Collections: Desert Fire Fest Round 1





	Snap, Crackle, Pop

**Author's Note:**

> Self-prompt written for the Desert Fire Fest, a Park Chanyeol/Oh Sehun fest.

Oh Sehun isn’t just a geek. He’s a massive geek. He has an extensive collection of comic books, manga, anime DVDs, video games, as well as a sizable collection of figurines.

Out of everything he owns, he’s most proud of his figurine collection. Comprising nearly five hundred different items, Sehun’s prized figurine collection is a thing of wonders— Funko Pops, Nendoroids, Kotobukiya statues, ball jointed dolls, Sehun has them all. He’s even had custom shelves with glass panelling and LED lights made so the entirety of his apartment would be dedicated to displaying his prized possessions.

So yes, Sehun is dedicated to his geeky interests to say the least.

“You’re like, way too obsessed with these,” Jongin, one of Sehun’s friends from back in university, says to him while Sehun is carefully reorganising the Captain America section of his collection.

“And?” Sehun asks, humming as he inspects the plastic protective cases covering the boxes. It’s a no-brainer that his Funko Pops had to be tucked away in clear plastic protective cases to ensure that the box was safe and sound. In the world of collecting, the box’s condition mattered as much— sometimes even more than the condition of the figure inside it.

“I dunno. Don’t you think it’s kind of weird?” Jongin inquires, walking over to where Sehun is standing. “People our age spend their money on practical stuff.”

“What do you mean by practical stuff?” Sehun questions. “It’s not like I need a new microwave or something.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Jongin replies, and Sehun can _feel_ his friend rolling his eyes at him. “I’m just saying… Jongdae hyung already has a kid, and Minseok hyung and Luhan hyung just got engaged. Most people our age spend their money on dates and shit.”

“I have Aquaman, I don't need a boyfriend.” It's not exactly a lie. The amount of times Sehun has jerked off to photos of a shirtless Jason Momoa is something nobody else needs to know.

“Not the same thing, Sehun,” Jongin says. “And I'm not just talking about getting _laid._ I mean, we’re in our twenties, dude. Don’t you want to invest in something else besides toys?”

“I just bought a new dildo last week.”

“Sehun! Not what I meant at all!”

Sehun turns away from his Age of Ultron Captain America— the one signed by Stan Lee himself— to finally face Jongin. “You don’t have room to talk about my hobbies. You spend most of your time playing with Legos and you can’t sleep without a teddy bear.”

Jongin gapes at him, mouth gawking open like a fish. If it were anyone else, the sight would’ve been unattractive but Jongin is Jongin, so he’s annoyingly handsome no matter what stupid face he's making.

“Dude, I build those Lego sets with my nieces and nephews. You don’t even take your toys out of their boxes,” Jongin fires back.

Sehun sighs, setting down the signed Age of Ultron Captain America next to the unsigned Age of Ultron Captain America. “They're not toys, they're _figurines_. There's a difference. I don't even know how you can say that when their SRPs are—”

“—Okay okay, chill.” Jongin raises his hands in surrender, cutting Sehun off before the younger man could give him a lecture about suggested retail prices or how to accurately spot fakes.

Unfortunately for Jongin, Sehun did not ‘chill’ and proceeded to give said lecture about fluctuating prices and other terms that made Jongin’s head spin.

Jongin never says a word about Sehun’s collection after that.

💥

The thing is, Sehun isn’t even rich. He works a boring corporate job that allows him to pay the bills without having to live paycheck to paycheck. He doesn’t even have a sugar daddy or anything of the sort. In fact, most of the money he uses to fund his hobbies comes from selling and trading figurines. He’s looked at more than enough internet guides and forums to know how much to buy and sell figurines for without having to starve himself.

Currently, Sehun mainly collects Funko Pops. What Sehun initially dismissed as little gift shop items soon became the shining stars of his collection. He can’t count the number of hours he’s stood in line waiting in long convention lines to get a limited edition, nor can he recall how many times he’s entered a Hot Topic, looking very much out of place amongst emo teenagers, just to get his hands on a new exclusive.

Which brings him to where he is now: waiting for the store clerk to bring back the final figurine he needed to complete his Chrome Batman line.

The Blue Chrome Batman Funko Pop. Released in 2017 and exclusive to San Diego Comic Con and Toy Tokyo.

Sehun has the other Chrome Batman figures. The blue one is the second rarest and second most expensive of the whole bunch. Two months ago, Sehun purchased the emerald version, which cost him nearly 350 U.S dollars. It was completely worth it though. It looked very nice next to the other ones in different colors.

He's more than thankful to be friends with Baekhyun, the owner of a hobby shop Sehun frequents. Months ago, the other man took one look at Sehun and promptly decided that Sehun was his favorite customer and his newest beloved dongsaeng.

“Here it is.” Baekhyun hands the box over to Sehun, watching in amusement as the younger man inspects it for any damage. “The one and only Blue Chrome Batman.”

The box is light in Sehun’s hands. Batman’s chibi-like face stares back at him. Sehun can't help the grin that makes its way to his face. “It's perfect.” And it is. The Batman figure stands a few inches tall, the whole thing painted a dark blue metallic color sans the black and gold bat symbol on the chest. It was a simple design, and Sehun was about to spend 280 dollars on it. Nice.

“Anything else?” Baekhyun asks. He might be Sehun’s friend, but the likes of capitalism spare no one, so of course he’ll try to sell more things to Sehun, who loves spending money on things he doesn't need.

“Just the one, thanks,” Sehun answers. He spots a few Marvel ones he doesn't own (yet), including a zombified version of Wolverine that catches his eye, but he stops himself. That was the thing about Funko Pops: they could release the exact same product fifteen times in a different color, and people— Sehun included, would buy all of them.

“Really?” Baekhyun inquires, cocking his eyebrow at Sehun. “We got a new shipment for Marvel zombies if you're interested.”

“Tempting, but no thanks,” Sehun replies, forcing himself to tear his gaze away from the zombie Wolverine. “I still have to pay rent this month, hyung.”

Sehun’s parents would probably murder him if they found out that the son they worked so hard to bring to America spends so much money on little plastic figurines instead of something useful like a new three-piece suit for work, but he really can’t bring himself to care. He loves comic books and anime and video games, and there is something really exciting about owning adorable little sculptures of all his favorite characters. Owning them made him proud and happy in a way he never felt about any material possession before.

Baekhyun chuckles as Sehun places the figure and its box into a sturdy protective case. “You're lucky the shop was able to get one of those,” he remarks. “It's really hard to find another one in that condition.”

Sehun smiles at that, feeling giddy at the thought of having the figure he's wanted for the longest time. “It's thanks to you, hyung,” Sehun says, knowing how much the older man likes being buttered up like this, especially if Sehun is the one doing it. “Did I ever say that you’re my favourite hyung?”

Baekhyun snorts playfully. “Nice try. But I can’t give you more discounts.”

“Awwww, c’mon hyung,” Sehun presses. He pushes his lip out into a pout and flashes his puppy dog eyes at Baekhyun. “I thought I was your favorite dongsaeng.”

“Yeah, well, you're also my favorite customer, so you still have to give me money.”

Sehun’s pout deepens and he tilts his head to the side. “Can I at least get a freebie?”

“No can do, kiddo,” Baekhyun says. “Maybe you should take that look on Grindr. I’m sure you can find lots of sugar daddies there,” he jokes, making Sehun grin cheekily at him.

The smile on Sehun’s face doesn't drop even as he opens his wallet and hands over the money. He feels a little guilty about blowing so much money on one small thing, but the excitement of finally owning Chrome Batman outweighs that guilt by a lot.

“You sure you don't want anything else?” Baekhyun asks, adding a cute little stamp on the stamp card Sehun uses for discounts and freebies from their store.

“If you're paying for it, sure,” Sehun quips, watching as Baekhyun places Sehun’s purchase into a little eco bag with the shop’s logo on it. “You can buy all my stuff for me from now on, hyung.”

Baekhyun chuckles. “As much as I like you, I can’t really accommodate your expensive taste.” He places Sehun’s receipt into the eco bag before handing it to the younger man.

“Thanks, hyung,” Sehun says, the smile on his face pleasant and appreciative. “See you next time.” He turns to make his leave. The longer he stays in one place, the harder it is to resist the urge to buy something he doesn’t need.

“Anytime," Baekhyun smiles back. Sehun walks out of the store, and he can’t help the peppy skip in his step as he walks away with his coveted figurine in hand.

Sehun passes by a few other stores on the way to the exit. Of course, he feels like looking inside, but some self-preserving instinct reminds him that he needs money to eat and to pay for his electricity. He sighs to himself, telling himself that he doesn’t need to purchase anything else now that he has his Blue Chrome Batman.

He’s in the middle of thinking about where to place said Blue Chrome Batman, when he suddenly bumps into a solid mass— sending both him and his precious new purchase out of the bag and onto the floor.

Sehun can barely register the panicked “Oh shit! I’m so sorry!” coming from the bulky mass of a person as hot white panic, followed by boiling rage seeps in. Whoever bumped into him must be very stupid or have a death wish.

A few moments pass by where no one says or does anything. The Blue Chrome Batman lays a few inches away from the bag, still helplessly sprawled on the floor after hitting it with a loud thump. Sehun looks at the figurine, then at the tall figure, back to the figurine, then back to the stranger.

Something inside Sehun snaps. 

His first instinct is to throw a temper tantrum. He has to remind himself that he’s a twenty-six year old man in public and going all hysterical on some stranger wouldn’t be a good look. His mother raised him right, and he knows better than to snap at the man, but like Hell, this is America, and this is as good a time as any to release Sehun’s inner middle aged soccer mom.

“Dude, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you, I—” the stranger tries to explain, but Sehun isn’t having any of it. In a span of a few moments, his bitchiness level goes from 0 to 100.

“You’re sorry?!?” Sehun barks, shutting his eyes close and running his hand through his hair in distress. “Do you have any idea how much this cost me? You can’t just say sorry and—” Sehun’s rant is cut short when he opens his eyes to look at the man properly, because it’s right then and there he’s faced with the hottest guy he’s ever seen in his life.

The look on the guy’s face is panicked, but holy shit is he a beauty.

The wide eyes looking at Sehun in alarm are round, dark brown, and framed by long eyelashes. The lips openly gaping at Sehun are small yet plump. The face holding those large eyes and perfect lips is tiny and cute, a complete contrast against the guy’s height and endlessly long legs. All these, coupled with bulging muscles that look like they’ve been sculpted from marble, make Sehun stop in his tracks and stare openly at the guy who looks like he’s stepped straight out of a manga.

“You okay?” the stranger asks, snapping Sehun back into reality. “You didn’t hit your head or anything, right? Oh god, I can take you to the hospital if you think you got a concussion. Shit, please please please don’t have a concussion though.”

Sehun opens his mouth before closing it again. He’s so distracted by the work of art in front of him that he momentarily forgets about his three hundred dollar figurine currently laying on the floor waiting for some douchebag to kick it away or keep it for themselves.

Sehun scrambles for the figurine, cradling it in his hands like it was a newborn baby. He inspects the Batman figure, and Sehun thanks every god he knows because it's okay. There’s a visible dent on the protective case, but the box and the figure itself are perfectly fine.

Sehun’s anger dissipates a bit, but his chest still feels tight. It’s completely the hot guy’s fault for a.) knocking him down in the first place, and b.) being so hot that Sehun can’t even yell at him properly.

“I really didn’t mean to bump into you,” hot guy says while nervously biting his bottom lip. It's a little odd, seeing such a tall and buff guy looking so nervous and tense like this. Sehun is tall and has broad shoulders, but he's never thrown a punch in his life, and it’s clear that this stranger does weightlifting or bench pressing as a hobby.

Sehun wouldn’t mind if the hot guy lifted _him_ and pressed him against the wall.

Wait— wasn’t he supposed to be mad at the guy?

“I’m Chanyeol,” hot guy continues. He’s clearly apprehensive, unsure if Sehun won’t actually bite his head off. “I’m really really sorry, I swear I didn’t mean to bump into you.”

Sehun takes a deep breath before exhaling. He can feel some of his anger dissipating, but he’s still quite tense. The way the stranger is currently staring at him isn't helping one bit.

“It's...fine.” Sehun shakes his head. “I’m sorry for yelling at you,” he says in a quieter voice. Sehun doesn’t apologise a lot, especially to people who should be sued for destruction of property, but goddamnit, the one thing Sehun loves more than his figurines is muscular hot men.

“No no no, it’s my fault,” Chanyeol says, bringing a hand up to remove his cap and run his fingers through his hair. Dark brown curls fall in front of his face before he pushes them away— the whole scene reminds Sehun of a fucking Head and Shoulders commercial because every movement seems to be in slow-mo.

Could he be any more gorgeous? Sehun doesn’t think it’s possible. “I know how much these toys sell for, so that must’ve cost you a lot.”

“They’re not toys, they’re figurines,” Sehun says in a tone that's way too bitchy to be used after someone makes an apology. Shit. Way to go, Sehun. Way to scare off the guy he found hot.

Chanyeol blinks at him. Sehun wordlessly holds the box closer to his chest, as if Batman could actually protect him from further embarrassment.

“Of course,” Chanyeol says, and for once, Sehun isn’t met with the condescending or judgmental tone people use when he tells them about his collection. Chanyeol pauses for a moment before blinking at Sehun. “Do you have any Iron Man ones?”

“I have a few,” Sehun mutters, assessing the guy with a questioning stare. People usually turn away after Sehun looks at them with his shark eyes for too long. “Why?”

Chanyeol shrugs. “I like Iron Man.”

“Okay? Good for you?” Sehun says confusedly. This conversation was beyond weird, and he can’t help but think the other man really does have a few screws loose. He looks at Chanyeol for another moment before turning on his heel to leave. The whole situation was getting more and more awkward and all Sehun wants to do is go home, lay on his couch, and pig out on potato chips.

He’s just about to turn away from the man when a hand lands on his shoulder. “Wait,” Chanyeol says, lifting his hand off Sehun’s shoulder. “Don't go yet.”

“What? Why?”

“I feel bad for making you trip and making you drop your things,” Chanyeol explains. “I know we don't even know each other and all but… you looked really upset when your toy— I mean _figurine_ fell and I wanna make it up to you somehow.”

“What?” Sehun squawks again, because apparently he's unable to say any other words. “How exactly are you gonna make it up to me?”

“Let me get you another one of those,” Chanyeol points at Sehun’s Blue Chrome Batman Funko Pop. “I'll buy you a new one.”

Sehun raises a questioning brow at the taller man. “Are you high?”

“What? No. I just feel bad because you seemed upset, and me saying sorry doesn't change that I could've damaged your figurine,” Chanyeol replies. “Just think of it like, you getting free stuff.” He looks quite proud of himself for that last part, his perfect lips quirking up into a small smile.

Sehun begrudgingly thinks that hot, muscular Chanyeol is even cuter when he’s smiling. Not that he’ll ever say that out loud, of course.

“There aren't any other ones here,” Sehun says matter-of-factly. “And if there were, I doubt you’d want to spend like three hundred dollars on a stranger you just met.”

Chanyeol pales at the mention of the price, but his expression quickly goes from worried to determined. “I'll get you some other thing then.”

“You don’t even know my name.”

Chanyeol smiles sheepishly. “Can I have it then?”

The little smile apparently does things to Sehun’s self control because he blurts out “It’s Sehun” before he can stop himself.

“Sehun. That's a pretty name,” Chanyeol says. “So how about it, you lead the way and I'll buy you whatever you want… just as long as it isn't gonna cost me an arm and a leg, I think we’ll be fine.”

Sehun eyes the guy warily. He might’ve been hot but Sehun thinks he’s a little out of his mind. Still, he considers the offer. There’s no way any stranger would offer to buy something for someone without having any ulterior motive, but Sehun really wants those Marvel Zombies figures, and this guy is willing to pay for them.

A one time sugar daddy doesn't sound too bad, now that he thinks about it.

They’re in a public place anyway, so it isn’t like Chanyeol is gonna mug him. Fuck it, Sehun thinks to himself, and eyes Chanyeol warily.

“I mean, I guess that’s fine,” Sehun says, hesitantly. “But if you try anything weird I'm pepper spraying you in the face.”

Chanyeol laughs. It’s a pleasant sound that’s deep and warm and makes something inside Sehun tingle a little. Sehun relaxes, feeling less tense, nevermind that his threat is an empty one since he doesn't have pepper spray on him at all.

“Deal.”

💥

The thing about toy shopping is that once Sehun starts, he can never stop.

He's always been something of an impulsive shopper, even before he got into collecting. Those impulsive shopping habits just increased tenfold when he got hooked on collectibles.

Half of Sehun’s wallet holds his cash, while the other half holds the coupons, membership cards, stamp cards, and VIP membership cards he uses when buying his figurines. Said wallet already feels lighter due to the purchase he made earlier, but Sehun supposes that's what Chanyeol is for right now.

They pass by a few stores on the way to Baekhyun’s. A few shop owners greet Sehun as he passes by, telling him about new shipments and the sales they have going on. Sehun makes small conversation with them as Chanyeol hovers beside him, busying himself by gawking at life sized Iron Man statues.

“Do you want that one?” Chanyeol inquires as Sehun scans a few holiday themed Funko Pops. It’s nearing Christmas, and Sehun thinks having a few festive figurines around the apartment would be good for raising the capitalistic trap that is holiday spirit.

Sehun is very tempted to say yes, because Superman looks very cute while dressed like Santa Claus, but he stops himself. He had his heart set on those blasted Marvel Zombies Funkos as soon as he said yes to Chanyeol.

“No,” Sehun shakes his head. “I’ll wait for someone to sell the whole set for cheaper online.”

Chanyeol nods wordlessly. He follows Sehun as he walks away from the small shop and turns to where the larger, more established stores are.

Sehun thinks it’s a little odd, walking around a place he’s so familiar with beside a stranger that he just met, but Chanyeol is a surprisingly good conversationalist. Awkward silence apparently doesn’t exist in his vocabulary. He easily fills any awkward silence Sehun might leave with his deep booming voice and stories about him and his best friend Kyungsoo.

“So yeah, I told him that he could come at me but I didn’t expect him to hold me in a _chokehold_ ,” Chanyeol narrates. “How was I supposed to know he had a black belt in judo?”

“And then what happened?” Sehun asks curiously.

Chanyeol pauses, and if Sehun squints, he can see what looks to be a faint blush on the taller man’s cheeks. “I didn’t want to tap out, so I tried to get out of it. Turns out, Kyungsoo is a lot stronger than he looks because I actually fainted.”

“What the hell— really?” Sehun questions. “Are you crazy? Why didn’t you just tap out?”

Chanyeol scratches the back of his neck. “I don’t like giving up or losing. I guess I’m just stubborn like that.”

“Which explains why you insist on buying new toys for a stranger you just met.”

“Yep,” Chanyeol says, popping the letter p. “Are you still worried about that, by the way? I told you, it’s fine. This is the least I can do. Don’t you like getting free things?”

“I do love free things,” Sehun hums. “But I still feel kinda bad. I did yell at you after all.”

Chanyeol waves him off. “It’s _okay,_ Sehun. Anyone in your position would’ve done the same. I don’t know what I’d do if I had the 1965 Fender Mustang and someone damaged it.”

Sehun isn’t really sure what Chanyeol could be talking about. He knows what a Mustang is so he assumes it’s some sort of car model. “I guess anyone would be mad if you crashed into their car.”

“Car? What do you— _oh_ ,” Chanyeol pauses, taking a look at Sehun. “A Fender Mustang is an electric guitar,” he explains softly.

“Oh,” Sehun says, feeling like a total idiot. The only things he has related to music in his collection are his Hatsune Miku and Love Live! figurines. Sue him for not knowing the difference between sports cars and electric guitars— two of the most incredibly heterosexual male interests out there.

Chanyeol, bless his heart, only smiles at Sehun and doesn’t make fun of him for that stupid comment. Sehun quickly decides to change the topic.

“You’re into music then?” Sehun asks.

Chanyeol’s eyes visibly brighten at the question. “Yeah, I’m a music producer. I have my own studio and all that.” The look on his face turns a little shy. “It’s the reason I was here actually. I was looking for some Iron Man toys to put around the studio.”

“Music huh,” Sehun says thoughtfully. “I would’ve never guessed.”

The taller man peers at Sehun curiously. “What did you think I did for a living?”

“I don’t know, a fitness trainer? A bodybuilder? You look like a total gym rat.” If Chanyeol’s muscles are anything to go by, the man probably spends lots of time at the gym. Sehun doesn’t know how people like Jongin and Chanyeol can exercise so much without wanting to die, but maybe all the blood in their brains has flowed to where their muscles are. Yeah, that sounds about right.

Sehun thinks that Jongin and Chanyeol would probably be good friends. They could force Sehun to lift weights and do sit-ups with them like the sadistic fucks they are. 

“A gym rat? I don’t know if I should be offended by that or not,” Chanyeol says good-naturedly. “I do go to the gym two blocks away from here though, in case you wanna join me there.”

“I’m like a ninja at the gym. No one can ever see me,” Sehun quips, making Chanyeol laugh like it’s the funniest joke in the world.

“We’re here,” Sehun says just as Chanyeol gets his laughter under control. A bright sign and a large Batman statue greet them at the entrance of Baekhyun’s store.

Baekhyun isn't by the counter when Sehun enters with Chanyeol in tow. In his place is a young woman with neon pink hair pulled into a ponytail. Sehun has seen her stock the shelves and talk with Baekhyun a couple of times, but he pays her no mind as he walks further into the store.

He heads straight for the stack of Marvel Zombies Funkos. To his delight, zombie Wolverine, zombie Hulk, and zombie Deadpool are both there. Beside them sits zombie versions of Venom, Mysterio, and Silver Surfer, but Sehun thinks they’re kind of ugly so he doesn’t bother with them.

“These are cool,” Chanyeol remarks beside him, holding up a zombie Deadpool box that Sehun stopped inspecting upon seeing the dent in the upper corner of the box. “Though isn’t zombie Deadpool kind of ironic? Cuz y’know, Deadpool technically can’t even die.”

“Actually, Deadpool _has_ died on some occasions. If we’re going by the original timeline of Marvel Zombies, Earth-2149 Deadpool most likely fled from the power cosmic zombies so he didn’t get incinerated and killed,” Sehun says, not looking away from the box he’s inspecting. “After Deadpool Corps happened, Headpool— that’s what they call Earth-2149 Deadpool after his head cut off, by the way— was killed by an agent of the Evil Deadpool Corps, and we haven’t heard much about him since then… so he’s dead, but not really?”

“Right,” Chanyeol says in awe, looking at Sehun like he held the secrets to the universe. “I thought I knew a lot because of the movies but you… you’re really on a whole different level, you know that?”

Sehun blushes. The guys his friends would set him up with on blind dates found his love for comic books cute until he went full geek on them and invited them to go to conventions with him. It’s one of the reasons he stopped trying to get a boyfriend. “Sorry, I get too excited when it comes to these things.”

“No need to apologize,” Chanyeol says with a warm smile. “It’s really cool how you know so much about comics. I mean, I love the movies, and those already confuse me a lot.”

Sehun returns the smile. He places zombie Wolverine, Zombie Hulk, and Zombie Deadpool into his arms, thankful that his hands are large enough to carry all three even while he’s holding Blue Chrome Batman. “I'll get these three if that’s okay.”

“Are you sure? I know I said I didn’t have 300 bucks on me, but you can get some more if you want,” Chanyeol says. “I owe you a lot more than this.”

Sehun shakes his head. “You’ve done more than enough for me already. And it’s not like you actually damaged Batman.”

Chanyeol still looks hesitant. “If you’re sure…” he trails off. He doesn’t look too happy about the arrangement, but Sehun isn’t sure what to say to convince him that it’s alright. Was Chanyeol really this altruistic or does he feel like the nonexistent debt he has towards Sehun isn’t settled?

“What about you?” Sehun asks. “Didn’t you want Iron Man figures for your studio?”

“Oh right,” Chanyeol says. Sehun watches as the other man makes his way over to a nearby shelf and picks up a common Iron Man funko pop. The way he smiles so brightly at the simple item shouldn't be cute, but it _is,_ and Sehun is annoyed with the part of himself that wants to snap a picture and save the moment on his phone. “I’ll just take this.”

“That’s it?” Sehun sputters confusedly. “You don’t want to look at more things? If you don’t like Pops, there are other things we can get.”

“I came in here wanting something like these little guys but now I can’t stop thinking about the huge Iron Man statue we saw earlier,” Chanyeol explains.

“Something like that would cost around eight grand,” Sehun supplies.

“Might as well start saving up then.”

Sehun chuckles. “Look at you, mister collector,” he says jokingly. “You start buying one thing, and rest is history.”

Chanyeol shivers. “God, I hope it doesn’t come down to that. I still need a new guitar amp.”

Sehun doesn’t comment on that, lest he says something dumb about something Chanyeol is clearly passionate about. He offers a smile though, and that seems to be enough for Chanyeol, who grins back.

Chest feeling lighter than normal, Sehun shuffles forward. He’s about to head to the counter, but something on a nearby shelf catches his eye.

Seated right on top of a stack of comic books is a little vinyl cat holding a cupcake— one of the Funko Pops from the Pusheen line.

Sehun may be a huge fan of superheroes and zombies, but goddamnit, he can like cute things too.

“I was looking for one of these,” Sehun mutters to himself. The fake cat stares back at him with huge brown eyes and curved mouth, almost like it was begging Sehun to take it home with him.

“Pusheen?” Chanyeol asks, looking at the figurine curiously. “Didn’t expect a manly dude like you to be into cute kittens.”

“Shuddup, it’s cute.”

“Like you.”

Sehun stills at that, feeling his cheeks burn scarlet at the comment. Before he can open his mouth to say something, Chanyeol grabs the box and stalks towards the counter, his unrealistically long legs taking them there in just a few strides.

Sehun watches the other man’s back for a few moments, unsure what to think about what Chanyeol just said. He files the thought away to his mental “think about this later when you can’t sleep” cabinet, and follows Chanyeol to the front counter.

The young woman is gone and in her place is Baekhyun, resting his hands on top of the glass countertop with an easy smile.

“Knew you’d be back,” Baekhyun greets as soon as he sees Sehun, His eyes then flicker to Chanyeol standing beside Sehun. “And who might this be? Your long awaited boyfriend?”

“I’m Chanyeol,” the brunet introduces sheepishly. “I bumped into Sehun. Literally. I made him drop his Batman toy— I mean figure,” he says, gesturing to the bag in Sehun’s hand.

Baekhyun raises an eyebrow at him. “And you lived to tell the tale?”

Sehun sticks his tongue out at Baekhyun. “You make me sound like I’m a monster.”

“Nah, you’re too pretty to be a monster. Definitely a menace though.”

“Hyung!” Sehun protests. He embarrassed himself in front of Chanyeol many times today. Leave it to Baekhyun to make it even worse. 

“Be careful with this one,” Baekhyun tells Chanyeol with a warning voice. “He might look like a cute innocent baby, but he’s a brat. Not worth it at all unless you’re into that.” He then winks conspiratorially at Chanyeol.

“I hate you so much, hyung,” Sehun grumbles.

“I love you too, Sehunnie,” Baekhyun grins. “Now do you want to use your own membership card for this purchase or should we get tall, dark, and handsome here one for himself?”

“Mine. I already have the 15% discount anyway.” Sehun pulls the card out of his wallet.

“Thanks,” Chanyeol smiles as Sehun hands over the card.

“It’s no big deal,” Sehun shrugs. “It’s actually more beneficial for me. If I get twenty stamps on this then I can get a discount for—” Sehun stops himself when he realizes he’s rambling unnecessarily again. His cheeks burn with embarrassment for what feels like the thousandth time today. God, Chanyeol must think he has some weird skin disease by now.

“I can carry those for you,” Chanyeol offers, raising his hands up to help Sehun carry the bags.

“Oh no you don’t. You already paid for them,” Sehun stops the other man before he can assist. He lets a cheeky smirk make its way to his face. “Besides, given what happened earlier, I don’t think I can trust you with them.”

Anyone else would have taken offense to that, but not Chanyeol, who takes it all in stride. “Can’t say I blame you,” he says with a chuckle.

They walk around for a few more minutes. Sehun has no intention of buying anything else, but the sound of Chanyeol’s low voice next to him is so soothing, he avoids his usual shortcuts so he can listen to it some more.

“Hey,” Chanyeol says suddenly, making Sehun look up at him. “Wanna grab something to eat?”

“What?” Sehun says dumbly.

“I know this great café nearby,” Chanyeol explains. “Their matcha drinks are to die for. They use real matcha straight from Japan— none of that gentrified American matcha. And if you’re hungry they have good ramen too.”

“I’m not hungry,” Sehun says, just as his stomach decides to betray him by letting out a loud growl. 

“What was that?” Chanyeol grins.

“I can get food on my own, thanks,” Sehun says, but it doesn’t even sound convincing to his own ears. It’s not that he doesn’t want to spend more time with Chanyeol, it’s just that he doesn’t want to embarrass himself in front of him again. Really, the last thing Sehun needs right now is to look and feel stupid while in Chanyeol’s presence.

“I know you can. But is there anything wrong with me wanting to spend more time with you?”

Sehun opens his mouth to reply, then closes it again when he finds that he can’t find anything to say. 

“We’re splitting the bill this time,” Sehun mumbles, and for the second time that day, he abandons his plans of going straight home in favour of going around the mall with a stranger.

💥

As promised, Chanyeol takes them to a pretty café on the other side of the mall. Marble white walls accompanied by lightly stained wood and illuminated by soft lights make for a calming and picturesque scene.

They make their way to a table in the corner. Because he’s Sehun, he places his bags on an empty seat rather than placing them on the floor. Like hell is he going to risk his precious babies getting kicked or trampled on. The thought makes him jut his bottom lip out into a pout.

“Cute,” Chanyeol mutters.

“What?”

“I meant the Pusheen. It's cute,” Chanyeol says.

Sehun raises a brow, but he doesn’t say anything. 

A waiter arrives to take their orders. Sehun gets the restaurant’s best-selling bowl and Chanyeol gets the same, only spicier.

“Would you like a matcha bubble tea to go along with your food?” The waiter asks them.

“Yes please,” Sehun says. “With extra cream and large pearls.”

Chanyeol orders himself a regular matcha tea, one that doesn’t look like it has any sugar in it at all, which is a shame because Sehun could have asked for a sip from Chanyeol’s drink had he ordered something more to Sehun’s liking.

After filling their classes with cold water, the waiter walks away, leaving Sehun and Chanyeol alone to look at each other.

“You like bubble tea?” Chanyeol asks.

Sehun nods. “It’s the best. Especially with extra tapioca pearls.”

“Boba always kind of freaked me out,” Chanyeol says while making a face. “I choked on those tapioca pearls once. Never again.”

Sehun snorts. “You don’t like having balls in your mouth then?” he blurts out before he realizes how horribly worded his question is.

Chanyeol chuckles. He raises his glass and brings it up to his lips. He takes a pointed sip before letting his eyes fall back onto Sehun. “Depends what kind of balls we’re talking about.”

Sehun nearly chokes on his own saliva. Comments like those usually don’t make him feel so flustered, it’s just that he doesn’t expect them from Chanyeol.

“Wow,” Sehun settles on saying. “What’s next, a penis joke?”

“I have lots of them, but there are small children and old ladies around.” Chanyeol shrugs. He hums for a moment, looking like he’s in thought until he speaks up again. “You and that guy at the store seem pretty close.”

“Baekhyun hyung? He just likes teasing me,” Sehun rolls his eyes. “If I didn’t know he was straight, I’d think he was flirting with me. He calls me cute and pretty for God knows what reason.”

Chanyeol tilts his head to the side. “He isn’t wrong. You are cute and pretty.”

Sehun is sure he’s going deaf. “What?”

“You say what a lot.”

“I am not cute.” Sehun scowls. “And I am not _pretty."_

“Baekhyun wouldn’t say that if he didn’t mean it,” Chanyeol insists. _“I wouldn’t_ say that if I didn’t mean it.”

“Baekhyun says a lot of things he doesn’t mean,” Sehun says. “And how would I know if you mean it or not? We literally just met by accident.”

Chanyeol doesn't look the least bit perturbed by Sehun’s tone. If anything, he seems to be enjoying their little back and forth. “I don’t need to know you well to know that you’re pretty, Sehun. That’s already obvious.”

Sehun blinks. He’s probably making that stupid fish face Jongin makes when he’s confused. “Are you flirting with me?”

“I’m just saying what I see,” Chanyeol says cordially. “And like, what gives? Why do pretty people always insist they aren’t pretty? That makes us normal people feel really bad, y’know?”

Sehun opens his mouth to argue that Chanyeol, someone who could very well pass as a male model, isn’t exactly ‘normal’ looking himself, but he stops himself. Thankfully, the arrival of their food and drinks cuts their conversation short before either of them can say anything else.

True to Chanyeol’s word, the food is absolutely delicious. The ramen noodles are thick and the broth reminds Sehun of the time he and his family went to Japan when he was a teenager. The bubble tea is just as good; Sehun almost moans when the taste of sugar and cream hits his tongue.

“Good, right?” Chanyeol asks after slurping down some noodles. Sehun tries and fails not to take note of the way the other man licks the excess broth away from his lips.

The rest of their meal goes by without incident. They make small talk about their hometowns, how long they’ve been living in America, and their shared interests. Chanyeol may not be as big of a geek as Sehun is, but he still makes great conversation. He tells stories with wide eyes and even larger hand gestures. Sehun laughs so hard his stomach actually hurts.

“—And that’s why I can never look at the Iron Man 3 movie the same way ever again,” Chanyeol finishes once Sehun gets his laughter under control.

“Speaking of Iron Man, are you really getting that Iron Man statue?” Sehun asks. “If you are, I know someone who can supply it to you for much cheaper than what they sell for here.” Sehun doesn’t have a shitload of friends, but he does have lots of connections in the industry from meeting people in forums and going to conventions.

“I’m not sure if I have the funds for something like that right now, but it’d be cool,” Chanyeol replies. “But you’re the expert.”

“Are you sure you don’t want a Batman one? Batman’s a lot cooler,” Sehun says matter of factly— because it _is_ a fact.

“Even I know that’s wrong, Sehun,” Chanyeol replies challengingly. “Hands down, Iron Man is better than Batman.”

Sehun’s eyebrows shoot up at the claim. “That’s where you’re wrong.” He rolls up his sleeves. He could deal with differing opinions about his favorite characters. He could even deal with dumb hot men knocking him to the ground— but saying Iron Man was better than Batman? This meant war.

The next half hour is spent debating about who actually is the better superhero between Iron Man and Batman. Chanyeol fights a fair fight, but he can’t compete with Sehun’s extensive geeky knowledge.

By the time they begrudgingly agree to disagree, the sun outside has set, the sky tinted orange and yellow. Despite Sehun’s protests, Chanyeol pays for both their meals— yet again saying that it’s the least he could do for Sehun.

Nowhere in Sehun’s plans for the day did he imagine getting three free Funko Pops from a random stranger he almost murdered, nor did he imagine getting a free meal from said stranger, but hey, he isn’t complaining.

Besides, Chanyeol is really really cute. Initial impressions aside, he’s shown to be nothing but good company. He might be wrong about Iron Man being better than Batman, but Sehun is willing to let that slide. Nobody is perfect after all.

“We should get going,” Sehun says. They paid their bill twenty minutes ago, but it's difficult to miss the impatient looks the restaurant staff send in their direction. Sehun can’t blame them— he’d also be annoyed if a bunch of grown ass men wouldn’t keep their voices down in the middle of a restaurant. Chanyeol must have rubbed off on him, because Sehun isn’t usually loud enough to attract attention.

“Yeah. The same old lady has been glaring at us since she got here,” Chanyeol snorts.

Sehun follows Chanyeol out of the mall and towards the bus station. On the way there, Sehun learns that Chanyeol lives not too far from him, and that his studio is only a few minutes away. They could have very well walked past each other in the streets once or twice before.

Sehun dwells on the possibility of running into Chanyeol at the supermarket or at a cafe; they live in the same area so it isn’t impossible. But would Chanyeol even want to see him again? Did _he_ want to see Chanyeol again?

“Hey,” Sehun starts before he can stop himself. A burst of impulsiveness, a gut feeling— Sehun isn’t sure what it is that prompts him to ask, but he does it anyway. “Could I have your number?”

A beat of silence, followed by a smile. “Ah, I get it. You need my contact number so you can sue me for making you drop your Batman.” Chanyeol shakes his head, putting his hands on his hips.

“I don’t even have enough money to sue,” Sehun says. “Also, going to court would be a hassle. Too much paperwork.”

“Well, if I’m going to give you my number then I should get yours in return,” Chanyeol says. Sehun lets out the breath he didn’t know he was holding in relief. “And if I knew making people drop their things and arguing with them over Iron Man would get me their phone numbers then I would’ve done it a long time ago.”

Sehun snorts, handing his phone over to Chanyeol. “They’d probably think you were really dumb, or a weirdo.”

“It worked with you, didn’t it?” Chanyeol asks, looking smug.

“Didn’t deny being dumb or weird, I like it,” Sehun says, grinning when he sees Chanyeol’s face fall.

“Baekhyun was right. You are such a brat,” Chanyeol says, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly enough so Sehun knows he doesn’t mean it. 

Chanyeol inputs his number into Sehun’s phone right before the bus stops in front of them.

Something tells Sehun that it isn’t the last time he’ll be seeing Chanyeol.

💥

Sehun is in the middle of aimlessly scrolling through Instagram when he gets a text from Chanyeol. He has to blink twice to make sure that he's seeing it correctly, but sure enough, it is Chanyeol texting him at 10:08 in the evening.

**Chanyeol**

sehun sehun sehun sehun

wait this is sehun right

**Sehun**

This is Sehun yes

**Chanyeol**

are u awake ?

well duh u replied ofc ur awake 

Sehun hums to himself. It had been three days since they had exchanged numbers, and Chanyeol texting him first is a pleasant surprise. Though Sehun was the one who asked for Chanyeol’s number, he had never been the best at starting conversations.

**Sehun**

Sorry but who is this?

**Chanyeol**

boo🤬 u kno its me🙄

I might be a dumb weirdo but ur a forgetful brat😤 

**Sehun**

Sorry idk any dumb weirdos

Blocking this number bye

**Chanyeol**

u suck

anw i was thinking about what u told me

about the decorations in my studio

and like,,, i think the industrial look im going for suits batman’s vibe more

**Sehun**

Does this mean Batman decor then?

Team iron man no more????

**Chanyeol**

iron man >>>> batman i stand by my point😌

but wtf iron man statues are so expensive😡😡

**Sehun**

Thank the movies for that

I know a place you can get good ones

Both Iron Man and Batman

**Chanyeol**

have i told u that u are a lifesaver bcs u are

anw i got this rly cool dark gray paint

we’re remodelling but it'll look great when it’s all done

**Sehun**

Send me pictures!

**Chanyeol**

take ur own pictures😼

besides the studio looks better in person anyway

Sehun nearly drops his phone. Is he looking too much into it or does Chanyeol actually want to see him again? He decides to make sure. He doesn’t want to set himself up for embarrassment.

**Sehun**

You want me to come with you?

**Chanyeol**

yep !!

if u don’t want to it’s chill but it’ll be really cool if u were there

Sehun stares at the screen, chewing on his bottom lip in thought. He and Chanyeol have only met once and that was by accident, but Chanyeol wants Sehun to visit his workplace? Maybe he really is a dumb weirdo. Either that or he’s a serial killer with a very elaborate plan to kill Sehun. 

**Sehun**

Is that okay though?

Like with your coworkers?

**Chanyeol**

ofc !! my friends are their friends !!

don't worry i'm sure they'll love you😚

Sehun raises an eyebrow. Could he and Chanyeol be considered friends? Sure, Chanyeol bought him a few things, they walked around the mall together, and they shared a meal, but all that happened in a span of a few hours.

_Fuck it,_ Sehun decides. If Chanyeol really was a serial killer, at least Sehun would have a cool story to tell Jongin and the rest of their friends… if he managed to make it out alive.

**Sehun**

When are you free?

💥

It is incredibly unfair that Chanyeol can look good even while wearing baggy sweatpants, an even baggier sweater, and some flip flops. Sehun wants to cry when he sees him because wow, he’s so stunning.

“Hey,” Chanyeol greets when he sees Sehun, pulling him in for a quick bro hug. Sehun had been contemplating whether or not it was okay for him to even high-five Chanyeol when they saw each other. God, was he really that socially awkward now? Was he becoming a stereotypical geeky nerd?

“Hi,” Sehun says, giving him a small smile. “How are you?”

They decided to meet in front of the place where they had lunch last time. Sehun didn’t even need to text Chanyeol to ask him his whereabouts, he could spot Chanyeol’s lanky body from a mile away.

Chanyeol returns his smile. His whole aura is just so sunny and happy, Sehun can’t help but be comfortable with him. The fact that he’s tall and very good looking is a plus. “I’m good. It’s really nice to see you.”

“Were you waiting for a long time?” Sehun asks.

“No.” Chanyeol shakes his head. “But even if I was, I wouldn't mind waiting for you.”

Sehun blushes. That was another thing about Chanyeol— he tended to be flirty and had no shame about it. “Thanks?”

Chanyeol laughs, deep and comforting. “C’mon. I can’t wait to show you the place. We got these new lights installed and they really set the mood, y’know. I was thinking about adding a storage room or something so we could store the equipment we aren't using. Ah, but there's this new keyboard that I've had my eye on—” and just like that he's rambling, excitedly going on about the various fixtures in his music studio.

Sehun doesn't understand half the words he's saying, but he listens anyway. Chanyeol smiles when he talks, and he can't help but smile too.

“—I can't wait for you to meet the rest of the guys,” Chanyeol says. “I told them about you and how we met, and they couldn't stop laughing.”

Good to know that Chanyeol’s friends are just as odd as him. Sehun doesn't think that their first meeting was particularly funny, but maybe he was too scared for his Blue Chrome Batman to find anything humorous. “You told people about it?” 

“Only like, my family and most of my best friends,” Chanyeol says. Sehun doesn't understand how someone can have multiple _best_ friends, but maybe that's just a social butterfly thing. “I mean come on, it felt like a meet-cute, didn't it?”

“I wasn't aware that our first meeting was a romantic cliché,” Sehun says. “What did your friends and family say?”

“They said I was lucky you didn't go all ballistic on me. I can wrestle, but I'm no good in a fistfight.”

Sehun quirks an eyebrow. “And you think I am?”

Chanyeol laughs. “Maybe you learned a thing or two from watching superhero movies.”

“Yeah, right. Underneath all this, I'm actually built like Superman,” Sehun snorts. He could never win in a fistfight, and he obviously stands no chance against Chanyeol, whose muscles are still visible underneath his baggy sweater. Sehun wonders how big his biceps are— how nice it would be to have Chanyeol pin him down and manhandle him.

Sehun’s last boyfriend was muscular, but even he was nowhere near as gorgeous as Chanyeol. Anyone would be lucky to have him as their boyfriend.

Wait, why is he thinking about how good of a boyfriend Chanyeol would be? He doesn't even know Chanyeol all that well. For all he knows, Chanyeol could actually be a psychopath and definitely not boyfriend material… which would be a shame, because he really is cute.

_Stop it, Sehun. He's probably straight anyway,_ he mentally admonishes himself. Chanyeol is undoubtedly attractive, but there are lots of fish in the sea— fish that don't make him trip and drop his expensive figurine. 

There isn't anything special about Chanyeol, he's a hot guy who just so happens to be nice to him. Sehun has seriously got to stop crushing on every tall athletic guy with a deep voice he encounters. It happened with Jongin back in freshman year of university, something that they laugh about now but was really painful at the time. There is no way in hell Sehun is going to cry over a straight boy not liking him back all over again.

Sehun shakes all thoughts of dating and boyfriends as he follows Chanyeol to his car. Chanyeol is just a friend, and the thought of dating Sehun has probably never even crossed his mind.

💥

Chanyeol’s studio is smaller than Sehun imagined, but it’s still nice. The walls are painted a cool gray color, the recording equipment is sleek and shiny, and there's even a mini bar— one that Chanyeol says that he constructed himself.

“You made this yourself?” Sehun asks, resting his hand on the polished wood of the bar. Apart from being hot and a nice person, Chanyeol was also talented. God definitely had his favorites alright.

“Making things is one of my hobbies, I guess,” Chanyeol shares. He gestures at the studio. “Everything you see here I brought in and arranged myself.”

Sehun is even more impressed. “Is there anything you can't do?”

Chanyeol scratches his nape sheepishly. “I can't cook rice unless it's instant.”

Sehun laughs. “What? No way.”

“It's true!” Chanyeol says, and he's laughing now too. “I always put either too much water or too little. I've tried the finger technique and using measuring cups but the rice doesn't come out right. I can make other things but I can't manage to make rice.”

The image of Chanyeol struggling to make rice is endearingly cute. It's nice to know that he isn't a perfect son of a bitch who can do everything. “I should show you the Oh Sehun way of cooking rice one of these days.”

“I would love to learn the Oh Sehun way,” Chanyeol says in between his chuckles. “But I'm telling you, I'm a hopeless case. Teach me all you want but I still won't be able to do it properly.”

“Not with that attitude you aren't,” Sehun quips.

A man suddenly walks in. He’s wearing glasses and is about average height. “Oh,” he says when he sees Chanyeol. “I didn't know you'd be here today.”

“Hey, MQ,” Chanyeol greets. “Just thought I'd drop by.”

The man—MQ walks further into the room, looking at Sehun curiously. Sehun can't blame him, he knows he looks out of place in his turquoise sweatshirt and Joker Converse. “Who’s this?” he asks Chanyeol.

Chanyeol pats Sehun's shoulder. “This is Sehun.”

MQ peers at Sehun before looking back at Chanyeol. “I didn't know you worked with K-Pop idols.”

Sehun opens his mouth to speak, but Chanyeol beats him to it. “What? Sehun isn't a K-pop idol. He's a friend of mine.”

“This is _the_ Sehun?”

Chanyeol nods. “The one and only.”

“Ohhhh. That explains it. I was wondering what you were doing with someone so clearly out of your league.”

Sehun blushes at that. He doesn't know if he should feel flattered or embarrassed.

“I wanted to show Sehun how the studio looked,” Chanyeol tells him. “He's helping me decorate the place.”

A confused expression makes its way to MQ’s face. “Er… okay then. By the way, Gaeko wants you to call him. Said it was urgent.”

“Oh shit, I forgot about that,” Chanyeol swears, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He flashes a sympathetic look at Sehun. “Make yourself comfortable. I'll be done as soon as you know it.”

“Okay,” Sehun says, taking a seat on one of the barstools as Chanyeol enters another room. Sehun expects MQ to follow, but he doesn't, instead he takes a seat beside Sehun.

“So,” MQ starts, looking at Sehun through his glasses. “Are you sure you aren't actually a K-Pop idol? You look like one of those boy group members my little cousin loves so much.”

Sehun shakes his head. “Sorry to disappoint.”

MQ leans further back against the barstool, making himself more comfortable. “How long have you and Chanyeol known each other?”

“A few weeks.” Technically, it's only been about two and a half. Sehun would have liked to see Chanyeol sooner, but the two of them had been busy.

MQ laughs. “You're shitting me.”

“It's true,” Sehun says. “This is actually the second time Chanyeol and I have seen each other.”

MQ makes a noise of understanding. “Chanyeol talks about you a lot though. He was really excited to introduce you to us.”

“Are you sure he's talking about me?” Chanyeol probably makes two new friends every single day. Sehun wouldn’t be surprised if he was just one of the many random strangers Chanyeol effortlessly befriended.

“Unless he knows some other geeky pretty boy then I’m pretty sure he’s talking about you,” MQ replies. “So, are you two dating?”

Sehun chokes on air. “What? No! Why would you think that?”

MQ shrugs casually. “You aren’t here to work on music with him. Why else would he bring you here if not to show you off?”

“It’s nothing like that! He and I just met!” Sehun sputters. “He told you how we met, right? I’m just here to help him decorate the place.”

MQ looks at him disbelievingly. “Chanyeol is the last person who needs help decorating anything. Didn’t he tell you that he has a degree in interior design?”

Chanyeol has told him about his pet ferrets and that he used to wet the bed until he was eight, but he most certainly did not tell him that. Sehun suddenly feels like an idiot. “Well, in whatever case, we aren’t dating. As you can see, we hardly know each other.”  
  


“Not dating _yet,_ ” MQ mutters under his breath, but Sehun still hears him. “Look, I don’t want to meddle in anything because that’s honestly none of my business, but you should know that Chanyeol never brings people over unless they’re here to work with him. This studio is his safe space. He creates his art here with people he trusts. He wouldn’t invite you here if you were just some other friend.”

Sehun raises an eyebrow at that. He didn’t even know Chanyeol’s major in university until MQ told him. What makes him so special?

He doesn’t have time to mull over it though, because Chanyeol chooses that moment to saunter back into the room. “Did you guys miss me?” he asks.

“Very,” Sehun replies dryly. MQ shoots him one last look before hopping off the barstool. Sehun hopes he doesn’t tell Chanyeol about their weird little conversation.

Chanyeol smiles, and just like that all the awkwardness that comes with meeting someone new dissipates out of the room. Sehun doesn’t know how he does it, but he’s thankful for it. Chanyeol’s smile could probably fix anything. 

💥

If Sehun thought Chanyeol was a chatterbox before, then he hasn't seen what the other man was like in the company of his friends. The tone of his voice and facial expressions don’t hide any sort of emotion. His eyes widen to the size of saucers when he’s surprised, and his grin nearly splits his face in two when his friend Gaeko shows up with bags full of food, still steaming hot in their takeout boxes.

The rest of Chanyeol’s music friends are fun too. Sehun would’ve never thought that he could talk and laugh with half a dozen music producers and rappers like this, but he’s honestly having a good time. It helps that Chanyeol always makes sure that he never gets left out in the conversation— explaining inside jokes and sharing little anecdotes about his friends that make Sehun giggle.

Chanyeol also doesn’t miss the chance to tell the guys about how he met Sehun. MQ knows the story, but the rest have yet to hear it. They laugh when Chanyeol recounts Sehun’s death glare when he bumped into him, and how he actually thought he was going to die right then and there. It should have been embarrassing for Sehun, who usually doesn’t appreciate being a character in any embarrassing story, but Chanyeol is hilarious without even trying.

“I’m telling you guys,” Chanyeol says before swallowing a mouthful of food. “He had this terrifying look in his eyes. I was too scared to even run away.”

Sehun snorts. “As if I’d let you run away after doing that to Batman.”

“See what I mean?” Chanyeol gestures at Sehun beside him. “Look at him. You wouldn’t think that he could be so scary, but I swear, he could give Kyungsoo a run for his money.”

“Oh shit, even Kyungsoo?” An older man Sehun now knows as Gaeko asks. He looks at Sehun, impressed. “Damn, kid, you must really be something if you managed to make Chanyeol over here scared.”

The rest of the group makes noises of agreement, and Sehun’s cheeks redden at being the center of attention. “I’m not _that_ scary when I’m mad.”

“Except you totally are,” Chanyeol snickers beside him. 

“I am not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“You've only seen me mad once.”

“Aren't you getting mad now?” Chanyeol grins playfully, like the kind of kid who pulled on pigtails on the playground.

“Okay, now you're just doing it on purpose.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

MQ and Gaeko chuckle amongst themselves as Sehun and Chanyeol bicker. “They fight like an old married couple,” Gaeko mutters to MQ, who nods in agreement.

“If I'm so scary when I'm mad then maybe you shouldn't piss me off,” Sehun says pointedly.

“Awww Sehun-ah, don’t be like that. I'm just teasing,” Chanyeol says. He takes a sip of his drink, and Sehun forces himself to look away from the movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallows.

It's daunting how Sehun is beginning to notice all these little details. He likes the way he gets competitive over the smallest things, the way he runs his fingers through his hair, the way his dimple pops out when he smiles at Sehun.

Sehun gulps, his stomach full with both Chinese food and something that feels a lot like butterflies.

💥

It's nearing midnight by the time they leave the studio. MQ and the others have gone home hours ago, leaving Sehun with Chanyeol to hang out in the studio. They watch Sehun’s favorite Sailor Moon episodes on Chanyeol’s laptop, sprawled out on the couch and bean bags like elementary school kids. It’s so fun Sehun almost doesn’t want to go home. Unfortunately, both he and Chanyeol have work the following morning.

Sehun is seated in the passenger seat of Chanyeol’s car, ready to show the other man his exquisite music taste, when he realizes his phone is dead.

He tries to turn it on, but it's completely dead. Probably from all the pictures and videos Sehun took of the studio and everyone as they ate and chatted.

“Ah shit,” Sehun curses. “Do you have a phone charger here?” For some reason, Chanyeol uses an android phone, but Sehun still hopes that he has a charger that he can use.

Chanyeol keeps his eyes on the road like a good driver. “I think Kyungsoo left his charger in the glove compartment last week.”

Sehun opens the compartment and shuffles through the contents. He's careful not to mess things up too much, just pushing a few folders and papers away until he can feel a cord.

“Do you see it?”

Sehun’s hand presses against a familiar shape. “Yeah, I think I see it.” He's about to grab the charger when his eye catches sight of something pink and shiny.

Upon closer inspection, Sehun sees that it’s a pink envelope with the words _‘To Yoora-noona’_ written on it in neat calligraphy. Sehun’s heart sinks to the pit of his stomach when he sees the envelope is attached to a small box of women’s perfume.

Who was Yoora? Why is Chanyeol giving her a letter and perfume? Was he asking her out? Was she already his girlfriend? Was she an ex? Sehun has no idea.

Sehun frowns, shifting in his seat uncomfortably. Of course Chanyeol isn’t single. He probably doesn't even like guys. Sehun was dumb for even thinking that Chanyeol’s flirty comments meant anything other than a joke.

“Have you seen it?” Chanyeol’s voice snaps him out of his thoughts.

“Y-Yeah, I found it. Thanks.” Sehun gulps. He quickly shuts the glove compartment close, plugging the charger into his phone with more force than necessary. He doesn't feel like playing music anymore.

Thankfully, Chanyeol doesn't notice anything wrong, and if he does, he doesn't say anything about it.

Chanyeol spends the rest of the car ride talking about an artist he's heard on SoundCloud. Sehun tries to pay attention, and he's successful for the most part, but his mind keeps going back to the envelope and the perfume in the glove compartment.

Sehun gives Chanyeol directions to his apartment building. When they get there, he thanks Chanyeol and bids him goodbye. He doesn't invite him inside.

💥

Sehun doesn't even know why he feels so hurt.

Chanyeol is practically a stranger to him, and Sehun doesn't believe in love at first sight. All he knows is that Chanyeol has an important woman in his life, and he doesn't like it. Not one bit.

He knows himself enough to admit that he's the jealous type; but then again, what right does he have to be jealous? Chanyeol isn't his boyfriend.

He still can't help but feel a little betrayed. Isn't a relationship something people are proud of? Something that they mention to people they consider their friends? Weren’t he and Chanyeol friends? Why didn't he tell him he had a girlfriend?

A ding from his phone tells him he got a new text message. Sehun sighs when he sees it’s another one from Chanyeol. He opens the message, wincing when he sees all the other texts he has yet to reply to.

**Chanyeol**

thank you for coming with me today🥺 i had lots of fun

**Chanyeol**

if you want we could make this a regular thing

you're always welcome at the studio hehehe😌

**Chanyeol**

ah you're probably in the shower or asleep by now oops

talk to you in the morning then ! good night sehun-ah✨

**Chanyeol**

heyyoooo did you make it home okay last night?

well i mean yea i dropped you off so you must be fine

anyway text me as soon as you can !!!

i saw these cool figurines things that i think you might like

they're not as nice as your funkos but they are cute😇

**Chanyeol**

have u seen the new superhero movie trailer😳

looks like a total rip-off to me

but what do i know HHAHAHA ur the expert here

**Chanyeol**

i hope everything’s going alright with u and work ♡︎

don't forget to rest and take care of yourself !!

**Chanyeol**

went to the studio today

gaeko hyung asked me how u were

he wants me to introduce u to his best friend HAHAHA

he's probably kidding tho

but if you want u can come and visit😝

**Chanyeol**

hi !! how are you?☺️

**Chanyeol**

hey, are you okay?

**Chanyeol**

sehun?

u there?

**Chanyeol**

you didn’t change your number or smth right?

**Chanyeol**

hiiiii

**Chanyeol**

i know it's none of my business but we haven't talked in a while and i'm kinda worried

you don't have to reply or something idk i'm worried about u

i hope everything is okay with you

i miss talking to you

i hope that isn’t weird

Sehun sighs again. Guilt plunges in his stomach when he reads Chanyeol's latest messages.

**Chanyeol**

did i do something wrong?

if i did i'm really sorry, i didn’t mean to

i hope whatever i did doesn't get in the way of our friendship. i really do like hanging out with you sehun.

u don't have to reply if u don't want to. i understand.

i'm really sorry.

Sehun knows he's being unfair. He knows Chanyeol doesn't deserve to be ghosted like this, but what else is he supposed to do? Tell Chanyeol that he sort of kinda may be developing a teensy tiny crush on him after only a month? That he's a little bummed out about Chanyeol having a girlfriend and not telling him? No way. He'd die of embarrassment if he admitted something like that.

Sehun gnaws on his bottom lip. It was just a small crush, wasn't it? He's had crushes that were taken in the past and he moved on from them pretty quickly. The same thing will happen with Chanyeol; he’ll get over his little crush and move on like the grown ass man that he is… right?

He’ll respond to Chanyeol eventually. Just not now.

💥

Buying new things is one of Sehun’s ways to cope with stress. It's a little counterproductive, considering Sehun has limited money and unlimited amounts of stress, but he makes it work. There was nothing like purchasing a new figurine after a long week of work.

He walks into Baekhyun’s store, mentally calculating how much he could spend if he uses all his coupons and doesn't give into the temptation of buying something outside of his budget. He sees Baekhyun by the counter, talking to a man wearing a dark gray hoodie.

The man in the hoodie briefly turns his head to the side, and Sehun’s blood runs cold when he realizes who exactly is standing there with Baekhyun.

He turns on his heel, ready to make a break for it before either of them can spot him, but Baekhyun doesn't have perfect 20/20 vision for nothing.

“Sehun,” Baekhyun calls. “What's the rush?”

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Sehun wants to bury himself in a hole and hide there forever. He turns around slowly, feeling very much like a character in a horror movie as he faces the two of them.

Sure enough, it is Chanyeol staring back at him, looking stupidly gorgeous even in that too big hoodie and his hair sticking to his forehead.

“So,” Baekhyun starts, folding his arms over his chest. It's the most serious Sehun has ever seen him. “Care to explain yourself, Sehunnie?”

Sehun grits his teeth. In an act of bravery, he steps closer to the two of them. Chanyeol’s eyes widen but he doesn't say anything.

“Hey,” Sehun says in what he hopes is a gentle voice. He's never been good with confrontation. “Can we talk? Somewhere else?”

Chanyeol opens his mouth, but Baekhyun beats him to it. He turns to Sehun with a steely stare. “You had all the time to text back and you didn't. What makes you think you have any right to talk to him now?”

Okay, since when were Baekhyun and Chanyeol so close? And since when was Baekhyun his protector? Was Chanyeol so worried about him that he even approached Baekhyun?

“I'm sorry I ghosted you,” Sehun tells Chanyeol sincerely. “I… there's a reason behind it. I didn't mean to make you worried.”

“—But you did,” Baekhyun snipes. There's a stormy look in his eyes that Sehun has never seen in him before. This is the first time he's ever seen Baekhyun pissed, and it’s all directed at him. “What the hell, Sehun? He was just asking if you were okay. We both thought you got kidnapped or something.”

“I’m sorry I—”

Baekhyun isn't quite done. “Do you have any idea how inconsiderate you're being? It's not just about you not answering Chanyeol’s messages, it's about you not even having the balls to tell him why.”

“—Baekhyun, please,” Chanyeol smartly cuts in before he can say anything else. “Let me talk to Sehun.”

“What? No. Let me give the kid a piece of my mind. This is the first time in a long time he's ever made a friend that isn't a total geek and I'm not about to let him ruin it.”

Sehun blushes. It isn’t his fault he has a hard time making friends.

“We got it from here. We’re big boys, we can work it out,” Chanyeol says, firmly but kindly. “I promise we won’t make a scene.”

Baekhyun looks unsure. He flickers his gaze from Sehun to Chanyeol before sighing. “No crying in my store please. Emotions scare nerds away. And please no shouting or temper tantrums either.” He deliberately looks at Sehun at the last part.

Both he and Chanyeol sigh in relief when Baekhyun goes into the back room. The relief is only temporary though, because awkwardness instantly fills the air.

Sehun really doesn't want to have this conversation in public. “What are you doing here?” 

“I wanted to know if you were okay,” Chanyeol answers truthfully. “I didn’t know where else to go so I asked Baekhyun.”

Sehun bites his lower lip. From the corner of his eye, he can see a group of teenagers hanging around in the corner. There’s also a balding man scanning over some of the anime figurines. This isn’t the ideal place to have any kind of serious conversation.

“Let’s go to that café,” Sehun decides. “My treat this time.”

Chanyeol looks like he’s about to protest, but Sehun stops him. “No. This is the least I could do. I owe you an explanation. And an apology.”

“Sehun, you don’t need to apologise,” Chanyeol says. “I overstepped my boundaries by flooding you with texts. I swear I didn’t mean to make Baekhyun mad at you either, I just wanted to make sure that you were alright. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

Was Chanyeol being serious right now? Why was he apologising? He had nothing to apologise for.

“It’s not like that,” Sehun appeases him quickly, lest Chanyeol get the wrong idea. “Please just… You didn’t do anything wrong. I should be the one apologising. I’m the one who fucked up. I’ll explain everything when we get to the café, okay?”

Chanyeol doesn’t look convinced. “At least let me pay my share. We can split the bill.”

Sehun shakes his head stubbornly. “No. You treated me to lunch when you fucked up, and now it’s my turn. Let me pay for us both.”

💥

“You haven't been answering my texts,” Chanyeol says, not unkindly. He sounds hurt, but his tone isn't mad nor accusing.

“I haven't,” Sehun says. There's no use denying it. He knows what he's done.

Chanyeol fumbles with his hands. Sehun belatedly notices that he’s wearing rings on his fingers. What, was he engaged now too? Hell, maybe he was already married and Sehun had no idea.

“Did I do something wrong?” Chanyeol asks unsurely. He looks uncharacteristically timid, his back hunched and his mouth pulled into a sad pout. It doesn’t suit him. He looks so much better when he’s smiling and happy.

“Depends what you mean by ‘wrong’.”

Chanyeol’s frown deepens. “Like, what did I do to make you upset with me? Was it the guys? Was it something I said? Whatever it is, please forgive me. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

Chanyeol is so sweet it actually hurts. Sehun absolutely does not deserve his friendship. “I’m sorry about not answering your texts or picking up your calls. I didn’t know that you were that worried about me.”

“Of course I was worried,” Chanyeol says honestly. “I was really scared. I thought something bad happened to you.”

A sharp pang makes Sehun’s chest hurt. “I’m sorry,” he says again. He’s never been good with words. “There was just… something that bothered me, and my feelings were hurt. I know I should've asked you about it like a normal adult instead of ignoring you.”

“Your feelings were hurt?” Of course that’s the part sweet and kind Chanyeol focuses on. “Sehun, please. What did I do wrong? I don’t want something like this to happen again. The last thing I want is to make you feel bad.”

Had Sehun been any younger, he would’ve actually started crying. Chanyeol looks and sounds so sincere, like Sehun’s feelings are more important than his own. He’s too selfless for his own good— Sehun doesn’t deserve him. Not one bit.

“I…” Sehun trails off. He doesn’t know what to say without it sounding completely stupid.

Chanyeol’s gaze softens. He tentatively reaches out to take Sehun’s hands in his own, encasing them in warmth over the table. “Hey, it’s alright. I’ll listen. Don’t rush yourself.”

Sehun takes a deep breath before speaking again. What the hell were the two of them being so dramatic for? One would think that they’re already in a relationship or something. “MQ told me that you didn’t bring people who you didn’t work with in your studio. He said it was your safe space and you only bring people you trust.”

Chanyeol blinks, not sure where this is going. “Yeah?”

“You trust me, right?”

“Of course I do,” Chanyeol says automatically. “We haven’t known each other for a long time, but we really clicked when we did hang out together. I don’t know why, but there’s something about you— something about the way I am when I’m with you that I really like. You and me, we get along well, even if our first meeting wasn’t exactly the best.”

Sehun doesn’t have time to get giddy over what Chanyeol said. “If you trust me, why didn’t you tell me you had a girlfriend?”

“What?”

“You should probably bring your girlfriend to your studio before you bring me there,” Sehun says, reluctantly pulling his hands away from Chanyeol. “And you shouldn’t be sending someone like me mixed signals. I’m not good with these kinds of things but even I know you’ve been flirting with me.”

Chanyeol looks bewildered. “Girlfriend? What girlfriend? What are you talking about?”

Sehun can’t believe him. Why was he still denying it? “Uhhh hello, the perfume in your car? The letter addressed to ‘Yoora-noona’? Come on dude, even I’m not that stupid. You were gonna give those to your girlfriend.”

Sehun expects a myriad of reactions from Chanyeol: denial, anger, even embarrassment. He doesn’t expect Chanyeol to be laughing— like legitimate howling to where he’s near the point of tears.

Sehun fails to see what’s so funny. Was this all a deliberate prank? Was someone going to shove a camera in his face? “What’s so funny?”

“Sehun—” Chanyeol wheezes, wiping an actual _tear_ from his eye before bursting into another fit of giggles. “Sehun, I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“What do you mean you don’t have a girlfriend?” Sehun questions. “Who’s Yoora-noona then? What’s with the gifts inside your car?”

Chanyeol seems to get himself slightly under control, his wheezing laughter dissipating into amused giggles. “Yoora-noona is my older sister, Sehunnie. I gave those things to her for her birthday.”

“Oh,” Sehun says, feeling very very very stupid.

“Was that what this was all about?” Chanyeol asks. There are no more traces of his kicked puppy expression. “Were you… jealous of my nonexistent girlfriend?”

Sehun is as red as a tomato. No words could describe how mortified he feels right now. “Y-Your o-older sister?”

“I’ve been giving her handwritten letters for her birthday since I was four,” Chanyeol explains. “It became a tradition, I guess.”

“You aren’t in a relationship then?” Sehun questions. “Like, no wife, no husband, no boyfriend, no fling or fuckbuddy?” It’s a crass question, but he’s already getting tired of miscommunication. This is exactly why he likes figurines more than he likes people.

“Single as a pringle.”

Sehun slumps in his seat, suddenly feeling very exhausted. All that emotional turmoil and stress could’ve been avoided if he had only asked Chanyeol about the letter and the perfume and not freaked out like a weirdo. It’s no surprise he hasn’t had another boyfriend after so long.

“So,” Chanyeol starts. “Are we good now?”

Sehun sighs. He’s never felt so dumb in his life. He feels like dunking his head into his bowl of soup. “I’m such an idiot.”

“I’m not going to deny that,” Chanyeol says. He patiently waits for Sehun to lift his head before speaking again. He grins when their eyes meet. “Don’t be embarrassed. This isn’t the sort of thing I tell my friends. This’ll stay with us.” 

“What about Baekhyun?” No doubt the older man would never let Sehun live this down. The only thing he loves more than doting on Sehun is embarrassing him.

“You’ll have to give him a very generous tip then next time we see him again,” Chanyeol answers. “We were both worried about you, not just me. He was ready to go on a search party himself if you didn’t show up anytime soon.”

“Baekhyun knows where I live.” How could he not when Sehun had so many of his bigger toy purchases packaged and delivered to his house?

“Yeah, so do I,” Chanyeol replies. “We were actually planning to bust your door down ourselves before you ruined the fun and showed up.”

It’s Sehun‘s turn to snicker. “Sorry to disappoint.”

“You better be.”

Childishly, Sehun pelts a balled up tissue Chanyeol’s face. The surprise attack catches him off guard, and the tissue manages to hit him in the nose. Because he’s Chanyeol, he retaliates by crumpling his own tissue and hurling it at Sehun’s forehead.

Sehun narrowly manages to avoid it. “Ha! You missed.”

“Missed? That was my practice shot.” Chanyeol tosses another ball of tissue at him, eager to one-up Sehun and uncaring that they were two fully grown adults throwing things at each other in the middle of a public café.

They’ll be alright.

💥

Things settle down after their first big “fight”. Sehun makes up for ghosting Chanyeol by instantly replying to his texts and accepting his video calls. It doesn't feel like a chore— far from it actually. Chanyeol is so easy to talk to, and he's an equally good listener.

Sehun grins when he hears his phone ding. It could only be from one person. Only Park Chanyeol would text him at 12:14 am on a Saturday.

**Chanyeol**

just went grocery shopping

i bought so much popcorn and soda😈

**Sehun**

At 12 in the morning?

**Chanyeol**

dude going to 24 hour stores when no one is there feels like stepping into another dimension

you should try it sometimes

anyway yea i got a really good deal on the snacks

Sehun isn't even remotely surprised that Chanyeol goes food shopping at twelve in the morning. The man had the weirdest sleep schedule Sehun had ever seen.

**Sehun**

I hope you bought actual food too

**Chanyeol**

duh i'm not uncivilized

i got a shit ton of candy too

**Sehun**

How are you still so muscular? All you eat is junk and instant noodles

**Chanyeol**

it's called having good genes baby

Sehun nearly drops his phone. Chanyeol was giving him pet names now? This better not be a reoccurring thing. He doesn't think he can survive if Chanyeol starts calling him baby in person too.

**Sehun**

Why are you even awake at this hour?

**Chanyeol**

ohyea i was gonna ask

do u wanna have a marvel movie marathon at my place later?

**Sehun**

Are you finally ready to admit why Cap is better than Iron Man?

**Chanyeol**

iron man hater🙄

**Sehun**

I don’t hate him, I just think he's overrated

**Chanyeol**

and batman isn't?🤔🤔

**Sehun**

No. Don't compare Batman to Tony Stark.

Batman is untouchable. You just don't put him next to any other character because they'll automatically suck in comparison

**Chanyeol**

you're just saying that because u think ben affleck is hot😏

**Sehun**

Untrue!

I say that because I think Robert Pattinson is hot

**Chanyeol**

#TeamJacob🐺

**Sehun**

#TeamCarlisle🦇

**Chanyeol**

edward’s dad ???

isn't he like hundreds of years old???

**Sehun**

Why do you think I like him so much

**Chanyeol**

😨😨😨😨

oh my god sehun-ah, your obsession with dilfs is getting way out of hand

stop hanging around old guys so much !!!!!!!!

**Sehun**

Says the guy who's older than me

**Chanyeol**

by like, a year and a half ???

**Sehun**

So I don't have to call you hyung anymore?

**Chanyeol**

no i like it when you actually call me hyung😚

anyway when we're done with marvel we can watch the whole twilight saga again

**Sehun**

Yes please and thank you

**Chanyeol**

sehun saying please and thank you?😧😧😧

see i knew you could be a good boy😇

now get your cute butt over here before i start watching without you

💥

They've only known each other for a few months, but it feels like they've been friends for years.

Everything with Chanyeol feels so _easy_ , like Sehun doesn’t even have to try to be someone he isn’t. He can be himself around Chanyeol— not having to filter himself or tone down his excitement the way he does when he hangs out with Jongdae and Minseok and the rest of his friends. 

Chanyeol is different. He says he likes Sehun the way he is, and Sehun knows he means it.

Text messages and video calls become more frequent too. They chat almost every day, talking about anything and everything under the sun.

The mall becomes their favorite place to hang out, followed not too far by Chanyeol's studio. Once or twice a week, Chanyeol accompanies Sehun to pick up the new items he pre-ordered or to just look around the stores. Afterwards, they go to the music store, and then proceed to eat half their weight in food at the food court.

It's nice. It's really nice, and Sehun can't stop smiling whenever he looks back on his messages with Chanyeol and the pictures they took while hanging out. He even sets the photo of him and Chanyeol next to a Hulk statue as his phone wallpaper.

Somehow, Chanyeol has managed to make his way into Sehun's life— oversized clothes, dramatic stories, corny jokes and all. Sehun isn't complaining. He didn't know how much joy someone like Chanyeol could bring into his life until now.

Which brings them to where they are now: in Chanyeol’s car on their way home from watching the newest superhero movie— the one Chanyeol is currently ranting about like there's no tomorrow.

“What was the point of not having him in the last third of the movie anyway?” Chanyeol questions, shaking his head as he makes a turn. “Like yeah, they made it look like he died from the car accident but everyone knows that no one important _really_ stays dead in superhero movies.”

“You can say that again,” Sehun replies. In truth, he wasn't paying as much attention to the movie as he should have. Despite being the one to suggest seeing it, Sehun found himself watching Chanyeol more than the actual movie. Having read the comic in which the movie was based on, Sehun found himself looking at Chanyeol’s reaction instead of the screen when something exciting was happening.

Was it a waste of four dollars on a movie ticket? Not really. Seeing the way Chanyeol’s eyes widened, or the way he laughed at every joke, was way more entertaining than any CGI alien attacking screaming civilians.

“—and don't even get me started on that unnecessary romantic subplot,” Chanyeol rants. “The main characters have literally known each other for two weeks! Two weeks! Like, at least go on a few dates before declaring you're officially together, y’know.”

Sehun gulps at that, shifting in his seat. Chanyeol has told him about his exes, he knows what Chanyeol thinks about romance and relationships. He also knows that Chanyeol loves the classic dinner and a movie combination for a date.

A date. That sounds nice. Especially with Chanyeol— sweet and funny Chanyeol who may or may not have wrapped an arm around Sehun’s shoulders halfway through the movie.

Sehun feels like a teenager all over again. He and Chanyeol went out together all the time, but that didn’t mean they were a thing… right?

_It isn’t a date,_ Sehun mentally repeats to himself. They’re just two friends who hang out. Together. A lot.

Beside him, Chanyeol is still going on about the movie, ranting about the plot holes in the movie’s world building.

“So like, I still don't understand how they got their powers in the first place,” Chanyeol says. “Were they actually given to them by aliens or did they get them because of the chemical radiation?”

“Oh. It’s actually a mixture of both,” Sehun supplies absentmindedly, intent on focusing the cars passing by and not at Chanyeol's face.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Sehun hums quietly. He can't quite get his mind off of his relationship, or lack thereof, with Chanyeol.

“What’s the deal with the aliens then?” Chanyeol asks. “Are they gonna come back to save the planet or are they just gonna leave them be?”

“I dunno. I haven’t gotten to that part yet.”

“Oh. Fair enough,” Chanyeol says. “Do you think they’ll show more stuff in the sequel?”

Sehun shrugs wordlessly. Hearing Chanyeol’s voice and having him in close proximity only sends him deeper down the overthinking spiral. Did Chanyeol consider their little outings as dates? Did he do these kinds of things with people other than Sehun?

Chanyeol shifts in the driver’s seat. When they reach a stoplight, he faces Sehun. “You okay?”

“Huh?” Sehun asks, turning his head to face Chanyeol. “Do I not look okay?”

“I dunno,” Chanyeol shrugs, turning his gaze to the car in front of them. “You just seem… different.”

“Different how?”

“You’ve been quiet since we got out of the theater,” Chanyeol explains. It doesn’t sound accusatory, he never does. Sehun is convinced he doesn’t have a malicious bone in his body. “Do you feel alright? Did I do something?”

Sehun shakes his head frantically. The last thing he wants is for Chanyeol to feel like he did something wrong, when really it’s Sehun’s overthinking that is to blame. That was what happened in the Yoora situation— he doesn’t need a repeat. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just… It’s something wrong with me.”

“Are we really doing the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ thing?” Chanyeol asks. Through the rear view mirror, Sehun can see him frowning.

“It really isn’t you though,” Sehun immediately protests. “It’s just me overthinking and making an issue out of nothing.”

Chanyeol’s frown depends. “It isn’t nothing if it’s bothering you,” he says. “You know you can tell me anything, right? I won’t judge you for it.”

“You’re gonna think it’s stupid.”

“I can assure you that I won’t.”

Sehun bites the inside of his cheek, feeling his heart pound inside his chest. He sees no point in lying. “There’s this… person that I like, and he’s really sweet and nice, and sometimes I think he likes me back, but I might be overthinking things so I’m unsure. I don't want to ruin the friendship by telling him that cuz it’ll make things awkward.”

Chanyeol’s expression shifts. He sneaks a glance at Sehun through the mirror. “And this person is me?”

“Huh?”

“The person you like. It’s me, isn’t it?”

Sehun settles for nodding slowly. “Yeah.” There’s no point in lying; Chanyeol knows Sehun doesn't have a lot of friends, especially the kinds that were crush-material.

“I kinda figured,” Chanyeol says, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. “How long?”

Chanyeol is taking this awfully well— almost too well for Sehun’s comfort. Sehun isn't the subtlest person in the world, but he hoped that he wasn't too obvious about his crush on Chanyeol. “I'm not sure. I think I realized it around the time we were fighting.”

“That was a fight?”

Sehun clicks his tongue. “You know what I mean. The time I was ignoring you.”

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder?”

“Something like that,” Sehun mutters, shifting around uncomfortably in his seat. “Look, you don’t have to pretend around me if you're uncomfortable. I get it. I didn't want to tell you sooner because I was scared that things would get awkward between us and that's the last thing I wanted to happen because I do like being your friend and I didn't want that to be ruined because my feelings weren't mutual and—”

“—Woah wait, hold on. When did I say I didn't like you back?” Chanyeol interrupts.

Sehun feels like he's out of breath. “What?” he wheezes.

“I never said I didn’t like you back, Sehun,” Chanyeol states matter of factly, meeting Sehun’s eyes through the rearview mirror. “I like you too. Like a lot.”

“Oh my god, please don't lie to make me feel better about myself. I can handle rejection.” He can, but that doesn't mean he can handle it _well._

“I don't make it a habit to lie, Sehun,” Chanyeol says, more firmly this time. “And dude, have you seen yourself? How can I not like you?”

Sehun blinks. “Huh?”

“Do you really want me to spell it out?” Chanyeol asks with a small snort. “You're handsome, you're cute, you're funny, and I like being around you. What’s not to like?”

“I… don’t know what to say,” Sehun says in awe. He hopes they don’t suddenly get into a car accident, not when he feels like he’s on cloud nine. “Did you know that I liked you?”

“I had an idea, but I didn't want to voice it out in case it made you uncomfortable.” Chanyeol shrugs. “Don't worry about it though, it's cute.”

Sehun blushes. Sure, the inside of Chanyeol’s car in the middle of traffic isn’t the most romantic place in the world, but it's more than enough to make a grin appear on Sehun’s face.

“There's that smile,” Chanyeol says happily. He turns his gaze back to the road. “I think we’re old enough to be straightforward about our feelings, right?”

Sehun flushes deeper. Initially, he had been planning to keep his feelings bottled up until they went away. “So… we both like each other.”

“Uhuh,” Chanyeol says. His tongue darts out to lick at his lips. “That's cool with you, right?”

Sehun thinks about it. “I mean, we confessed to each other, but that doesn't mean we’re boyfriends, right?” He can't afford to mess this up. He's lucky enough that his feelings for Chanyeol were mutual.

Chanyeol hums, low and comforting in the way he always is. Sehun can never be completely nervous when he's around him. “I'm more than open to it, but I won't push you if you don't want to, or if you're not ready.”

“Really?” Chanyeol is so sweet and considerate— Sehun doesn't deserve him.

“If you wanna go on dates to test out the waters then it's fine with me. We don't have to be boyfriends right away,” Chanyeol says. “You told me how you felt, and I want you to know that you make me very happy.”

Sehun feels like he's levitating. This whole scene feels like it's been ripped out of a romance manhwa and totally not like something that happens in real life. “You're not upset with me?”

“Why would I be?”

“For not telling you sooner? For making things more complicated and being dramatic about it?”

“Your feelings are valid, Sehun. I won't be upset with you for wanting to sort them out before doing anything.” Chanyeol sends him another look. “I’m only upset about one thing though.”

“What is it?”

“You didn’t tell me what you thought about the movie,” Chanyeol pouts. “I was looking forward to hearing your analysis and theories about it cuz you read the comics and everything.”

Sehun raises an eyebrow at him. His chest feels a lot lighter now that they've cleared the air. “If you do want to know more about what happens in the comics, I’ll be glad to spoil everything for you.”

Chanyeol’s mouth hangs open. “You wouldn’t.”

“I can and I will,” Sehun retorts. “In issue thirty two, the captain is actually able to escape the space prison and—”

“—Sehun!” Chanyeol whines, cutting the rest of Sehun’s sentence short in fear of getting the rest spoiled to him. “I don’t want to hear the _whole_ thing.”

“Read the comics then,” Sehun says. “You can borrow some of mine if you want. I have issues one to sixty.”

“Of course you do.” Chanyeol shakes his head in amusement. “I’m convinced you actually live inside a comic book store.”

“Excuse you, I actually live in the Batcave.”

“Doesn’t Batman get distracted having someone like you around?”

“He doesn’t know I’m there,” Sehun quips. “My apartment is just a cover-up for my actual home.”

“Speaking of home, we’re actually here,” Chanyeol says suddenly, gesturing at the passenger seat window. Sehun looks out the car window, sure enough, that is Sehun’s apartment building they’re pulling up in front of.

“I guess we are.” Sehun wishes there had been more traffic. 

Chanyeol turns to face him. He’s smiling again. “Thanks for today, Sehun. I had a really good time,” he says, and before Sehun knows it, he’s being pulled into a hug.

It isn't the first time they've hugged, but Sehun still finds himself getting mesmerized by the contact. He loves how warm Chanyeol is against him, how easily his arms envelope Sehun’s body, and the way Chanyeol’s huge palms press against Sehun's back.

Not for the first time, Sehun wonders what they would feel like if they slid down just a bit lower… right where his ass is.

Sehun doesn't get to enjoy the hug for longer though, because Chanyeol pulls away with a pat on Sehun’s back.

“Take care, okay?”

Sehun thinks he would do anything Chanyeol asks. “I will,” he says instead, because that's decidedly less creepy to say.

He still doesn't feel like leaving though.

Hesitantly, he rests his hand on the car door handle, considering his options before opening his mouth to speak again. “Are you going anywhere after this?”

“Not really. I was gonna go home and maybe take a nap,” Chanyeol replies nonchalantly. “Why?”

“Do you want to come in?” Sehun asks, looking at the other man hopefully. “Like, to hang out more?”

Chanyeol's eyes widen at that, his mouth hanging open in surprise. “You mean, in your apartment? For real?”

“Yeah, I mean, if you want to?” Sehun fumbles. “It’s totally cool if you can’t though. I won’t mind if you don’t want to. If you’re busy then you can come over another time—”

“—Sehun,” Chanyeol interrupts. “I would love to.”

Sehun can't help but smile. “Let’s go then.”

They make light conversation as Chanyeol parks his car in the apartment building’s parking lot.

The building security guard gives them a strange look as they walk into the lobby. Sehun ignores him. He could think whatever he wanted.

“I hope you don't mind if we get takeout later,” Sehun says as they step into the elevator. Sure, he could try his hand at making a meal, but he doesn’t want to risk it. He wouldn’t forgive himself if he accidentally gave Chanyeol a stomach ache from making him eat his food.

“Oh Sehun, are you inviting me to dinner?”

“If you consider takeout burgers and fries as dinner then yes,” Sehun replies. He feels a lot better than he did twenty minutes ago during the car ride home. 

“Takeout burgers and fries sound good.”

“And since it’s my house and I’m the host, I’m paying. Not taking no for an answer.”

“Fine by me,” Chanyeol chuckles.

Sehun sighs in relief. “And sorry about the mess,” he adds.

“Just as long as there aren’t rotting dead bodies in there we should be good.”

“Maybe you'll be the first,” Sehun replies, because making jokes is his best defense mechanism whenever he gets nervous.

“It’d be an honor,” Chanyeol says as the doors to the elevator open on Sehun’s floor.

Sehun doesn’t bring a lot of people to his house. He isn't ashamed of it per say, but he's heard enough from friends that his collection could get quite overwhelming for some people. Sure, he knows Chanyeol is the last person who would judge him for it, but he's still unsure.

He contemplates this as the elevator goes up, unsure if his apartment is presentable enough for guests. The last thing he wants is Chanyeol stumbling upon something embarrassing like a doujinsji manga Sehun left out in the open, or that stupid pair of clip-on cat ears Jongin had gotten him as a gag gift for his birthday.

Ah shit, did Sehun even clean his apartment before leaving today?

He unlocks the front door with a grimace, hesitantly making his way inside and trying his best not to look too nervous.

Sehun looks back at the other man, and he can pinpoint the exact moment Chanyeol’s jaw drops at the sight of his living room.

“Holy cow, Sehun,” Chanyeol openly gapes. He doesn't know where exactly to look, his eyes taking in the shelves upon shelves of colorful figurines, LED lights, and framed posters hanging from the ceilings.

“Yeah…” Sehun trails off, already somewhat regretting his decision. Great, Chanyeol was probably thinking that he was an even bigger loser now.

“This is… wow,” Chanyeol says, looking at everything in awe. “I mean, you've shown me pictures, but seeing this in person… I wasn’t expecting it to be this amazing.”

Sehun blushes. He's heard many compliments from his fellow collectors, but hearing them from Chanyeol made him feel extra good.

“It’s not that amazing. Lots of other people have bigger collections.”

“They might be bigger, but I don’t think they’re anywhere as cool as yours,” Chanyeol replies, his tone making it clear that he isn’t leaving any room for argument. “And they aren’t Oh Sehun either, so that takes points off of their amazing-ness score.”

“And who gets to decide the point system of this amazing-ness scoreboard?” Sehun inquires.

“Park Chanyeol of course.”

Sehun hums at that. He leads Chanyeol into his bedroom, which in his opinion is the most comfortable place in his whole apartment. “This is it. This is where all the magic happens,” he jokes lamely, immediately regretting it as soon as the words left his mouth.

Thankfully, Chanyeol doesn't cringe. He only gapes at the sight of Sehun’s room, much like he did earlier in the living room. “Dude, what the heck?” Chanyeol exclaims in shock. “You have _more_?”

Sehun nods, watching Chanyeol point and gush over the items he finds interesting— which is nearly every single Funko Pop, Nendoroid, and comic book that Sehun has on display.

“This is so cool,” Chanyeol mutters as he scans a vintage comic book cover— a sixties Wonder Woman comic Sehun got at an auction. “It's confirmed. You're literally the coolest person I know.”

“I am _not_ cool.” Sehun thinks he’s about a few sweater vests and a pair of glasses away from being a stereotypical nerd. It’s a good thing he doesn’t play Dungeons & Dragons, nor does he live in his parents’ basement; his other friends would probably never let him live that down. Still, ‘cool’ isn’t the first thing that comes to people’s minds when they think about him.

“Dude, anyone would kill to have a bedroom like this,” Chanyeol refutes. “This is like, all my childhood dreams come true.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! I mean, even your bedsheets are Batman themed!” Chanyeol chuckles, gesturing at the little black and yellow bat symbols all over Sehun's bedspread.

“You don't think it's childish?” Sehun asks, recalling his exes always had something negative to say about his unconventional decoration choices.

“Dude, I unironically use Zootopia bed sheets. This is nothing,” Chanyeol tells him. “Not ‘nothing’, because obviously it's really cool but uhhh, what I meant to say is that your place looks like a toy store— no wait, it looks like a museum.”

“It's not that impressive,” Sehun says, yet he can't help but blush.

“Stop that humble-brag thing. You know your room is cool,” Chanyeol counters, making himself comfortable on Sehun's bed. “I'm living here now, you can't make me go away,” he continues, voice muffled from his face being pressed against the sheets.

Sehun gulps as he watches him. A sexy man that he is very much attracted to is lying on his bed. He bites on his tongue, trying his best not think about whether or not it would be weird to have sex on top of his Batman bedsheets. Or Chanyeol’s Zootopia ones.

“You better pay rent if you’re gonna start living here.” It’s a joke, but Sehun can’t help but entertain the thought. He wouldn't mind living with Chanyeol. That would be cute, and very domestic and sweet.

“I promise I won't mess up your figures if I do,” Chanyeol says. He turns his head to the side to look at Sehun, who is still sitting awkwardly on the side of the mattress. “You can lie down too, y’know. It's your bed.”

Getting into bed, even in the literal sense, with Chanyeol is something Sehun had been hoping to avoid. He doesn't know how he can control his nerves and hormones with the other man in such close proximity.

But he can't say no to Chanyeol either, so he inches himself closer to him, half laying on his side and trying his best not to stare too much at the other man.

“Your place really is cool though,” Chanyeol says once Sehun is beside him, looking up at the custom comic book wallpaper Sehun put over his ceiling. “Not just your place, but you too, y'know. Even if you don't agree with me.”

“Not as cool as you,” Sehun refutes. “You have a music studio, you play every instrument, you cook, you play sports, you speak fluent Japanese— the list goes on. The only thing I have is my collection and my Mario video games.”

Chanyeol perks up at the mention of video games. “Do you have Super Smash Bros?” he asks excitedly. 

“Wanna play?” Sehun thinks video games would make an adequate distraction from staring at Chanyeol’s face. It's a plus that Chanyeol enjoys them as much as he does.

“I am so gonna beat your ass at Smash Bros.”

Sehun would happily let Chanyeol do a lot of things to his ass— smashing it is just one of the many things he would love him to do.

He doesn't get to think about it too much though, because Chanyeol is already making a beeline towards Sehun’s game console, looking at it with the wonder and excitement of a seven year old. He’s so cute, Sehun feels like melting.

“Beat me?” Sehun asks. “You wish.” As much as he likes Chanyeol, Sehun is still very competitive. Like hell is he going to let himself get beaten by someone in his own house on his own console.

💥

Chanyeol, in fact, does beat Sehun’s ass at Super Smash Bros. He does the same with Mario Kart, Super Mario Party, and even at Tetris.

Sehun can’t even find it in himself to be upset by his pathetic losing streak. Who wouldn’t want to lose to Chanyeol— who is not only good at everything he does also has the warmest laugh and the biggest heart.

They’ve moved from the floor to back on Sehun’s bed, sprawled on top of the mattress with twin smiles on their faces.

“That was fun,” Chanyeol says, the vibrations of his low voice making goosebumps appear on Sehun’s skin. “You’re good.”

Sehun huffs. “Not as good as you.” He only managed to beat Chanyeol twice in the many rounds of games they had played together: the first time he cheated and the second time he’s sure Chanyeol had let him win.

“You won’t find anyone as good as me.”

It’s clearly a joke, but in a way he’s right. There aren’t any guys who could compete with Chanyeol at… well anything. It might be his infatuation blinding him, but Sehun thinks the other man is the loveliest person he’s ever come to know.

Belatedly, Sehun notices that their faces are only centimeters apart. From this close, he can see the slope of Chanyeol’s nose and the little freckles that he usually has to squint to notice. He sees the deep dimple on Chanyeol’s cheek, the fullness of those pink lips, the subtle flecks of amber in those dark brown eyes.

He’s a work of art. Sehun could look at him all day and not get bored.

“Chanyeol?”

Sehun doesn’t know who leans in first, but he doesn't care. All he knows is that they're kissing.

It’s slow and languid. They take time to explore each other’s mouths, enjoying the warmth and taste of one another. Sehun cups Chanyeol’s face with his hands, moving closer as Chanyeol’s palms find their way to his waist, touching him over the fabric of Sehun’s sweater.

They make out for a while, lips locked and tongues dancing in each other’s mouths. Sehun moves one of his hands from Chanyeol’s jaw to his hair, running his fingers through the soft strands. Chanyeol’s mouth tastes like Sprite, fries, and licorice; Sehun is weirdly entranced by it.

The kiss is nice; hot like a summer day and sweet like candy, but Sehun wants more. He's wanted more for a long time now.

He pulls apart from Chanyeol’s perfect lips to remove his sweater, but a hand on his wrist stops him.

“You sure you wanna do this?” Chanyeol asks. He looks very much like a dream, his plush pink lips parted and his hair hanging in front of his forehead. Sehun wants to kiss him again; he wants to do a lot of things to him and he wants Chanyeol to do the same.

“I’m sure.” He’s never been so sure of anything in his life; not even when he bought a ticket and booked a flight to New York for New York Comic Con.

This is so much better than any Comic Con he’s ever been to.

Chanyeol attaches his hands to Sehun’s torso to help him out of his sweater, tossing it somewhere on the floor when he’s done. He reaches out to a caress Sehun’s waist, appreciating the way it slots perfectly against his palms.

“Oh my god, you’re perfect, Sehun-ah.”

“I can say the same thing about you,” Sehun mutters. If the distinct hardness poking against his thigh is anything to go by, Chanyeol is just as turned on as him. His body probably looks amazing too, hidden underneath all those layers of clothes.

Speaking of which…

“T-Too many clothes,” Sehun mutters, uncaring if he sounds too needy. Fortunately, Chanyeol shares the same sentiments, and he wastes no time in shrugging himself out of his hoodie and t-shirt to reveal the expanse of his toned arms and sculpted muscles.

“Happy?” Chanyeol asks softly as Sehun licks his lips at the sight.

“Take off your pants,” Sehun says, because he’s spoiled and demanding like that. He also wants to see Chanyeol naked. “And underwear.”

Chanyeol, bless his heart, does just that. He does the same with Sehun’s bottoms too, leaving them both naked and pressed up against each other, touching whatever and wherever they can.

His hands are cold against Sehun’s bare skin, and Sehun gasps when he grabs his ass with both hands to push Sehun closer to him. Pressed up with their erections straining against each other like this, a bright idea pops into Sehun’s head.

“Wanna suck your cock,” Sehun says. He might not be good at a lot of things, but he sure as hell is proud of his oral skills. If anyone deserves a good blowjob, then it’s definitely Chanyeol. “Please, hyung. Let me suck you off.”

Apparently, calling the other man hyung does the trick, because Chanyeol nods hastily, switching their positions so that Sehun’s face is centimeters away from Chanyeol’s fully erect cock.

Sehun is near drooling at the sight. He’s seen glimpses of Chanyeol’s bulge through his shorts and sweatpants many times before, but those can’t compare to the actual thing— hard and erect and leaking the slightest bit of precum as Sehun takes him to hand.

“You’re so hot,” Chanyeol says in admiration, and not a second later, Sehun leans in closer to swallow the head of his cock.

"Mhmmm," Sehun says around Chanyeol's dick, squeezing the base with one hand.

“O-Oh my god, Sehun—” Chanyeol gasps, eyes rolling to the back of his head as Sehun swallows his cock whole.

It’s been a while since he’s done this, but Sehun is glad he still has it. He hopes he can do something like this for Chanyeol again.

He takes Chanyeol in further, licking at the underside of his cock and humming his approval when Chanyeol clutches his hair tighter. From this angle, it's difficult to discern the expression on Chanyeol’s face, but he doesn't need to be the world’s greatest detective to figure out that the other man is really enjoying this.

The sounds Chanyeol makes are music to Sehun’s ears. He moans when he feels Sehun take him all the way into his mouth, muttering curses each time Sehun pulls back a little to tongue the head of his cock.

"S-Sehunnie," Chanyeol groans as Sehun laps at him, taking his dick into his mouth like he was born to do it. “You’re so good— how are you so good at this? Shit.”

Chanyeol doesn’t swear a lot, but when he does, it means he’s either very stressed out, or having Sehun on him just feels _that_ good. Sehun supposes it’s the latter, guessing from the way Chanyeol bucks into his mouth. “Wait. Sehunnie, hold on. I don’t wanna cum yet.”

Sehun pulls off of him with a provocative _pop_ , a trail of saliva connecting his lips with the cockhead. "Why not?"

Chanyeol pulls him up by the hair to kiss him again, hotter and sloppier than the ones prior. “Want to touch you again,” he murmurs against the kiss. “Want to make you feel good.”

“Please,” Sehun says, and just like that, Chanyeol flips their positions again so that he’s on his back and Sehun is straddling him.

“F-Fuck,” Sehun curses, gulping when he feels Chanyeol’s cock in such close proximity to his ass. It was so big, possibly even bigger than Sehun’s. Would it fit? Maybe, but they would have to use lots of lube considering how tight his hole tended to be— like it just snapped back into place after being used.

_Not now, Sehun_ , he chides himself when he realizes he’s spiralling. It was much too early for any penetrative sex— he can’t even believe he had gotten a confession _and_ a kiss in a span of a few hours. He hopes Chanyeol’s dick would pay his ass a visit sometime soon though.

He doesn’t mind waiting though. How could he even complain when Chanyeol is currently bucking and grinding into him like this? “Mhmmmm, Y-Yeol,” Sehun moans, timing the movement of his hips to meet Chanyeol’s thrusts.

They move together hungrily, almost like horny teenagers at the eager pace they’re going. Sehun can’t focus on anything except from the hot friction between them and the sounds they’re letting out. At this moment, it’s only him and Chanyeol tangled in the stupid Batman bed sheets without an inch of space between them.

Chanyeol’s lips leave Sehun’s mouth in favor of trailing kisses down Sehun’s jaw, his throat, then finally to his neck. When he finds a spot he likes, he presses his lips against it, sucking and biting until he makes a mark he’s happy with— a hickey that would undoubtedly be visible if Sehun isn’t wearing a turtleneck or scarf. It’s really super duper sexy.

Suppressing a shiver, Sehun grinds their bodies together, eager to get more of that friction. He nearly chokes on his own tongue when Chanyeol reaches a hand between them, circling both their cocks in hand and moving up and down with a practiced slide.

The older man’s hands work like they’re made of magic, moving at a rhythm that is oh so perfect. “Ch-Chanyeol,” Sehun lets out in a jumbled groan, overtaken by the simulation and pleasure coursing through him. “F-faster please. I need to— I need you.”

Encouraged by Sehun’s reactions, Chanyeol moves his hand faster between them— jerking faster and harder until Sehun is a crying mess beside him.

“ _Chanyeol_ ,” Sehun moans, loud and pitchy as he and Chanyeol ride out their orgasms and spill cum all over each other’s bodies and the black and yellow bed sheets.

They’re slumped up against each other as they try to catch their breaths. Once Sehun’s breathing evens out, he detaches himself from Chanyeol’s sweaty shoulder, propping himself up on his arm to look at him properly.

If he thought Chanyeol’s sex face was sexy, then his post-orgasm face is even prettier. Had Sehun been any younger and more hormonal, his dick would have hardened again right then and there.

It had been a while since he had had any sex, and Chanyeol certainly did not disappoint. In fact, there’s nothing about Chanyeol that’s disappointing. He’s incredible in every single way. Which is exactly why Sehun doesn’t hesitate to open his mouth and say his next words.

“Be my boyfriend.”

Chanyeol looks at him confusedly. “What?”

“Let’s be boyfriends,” Sehun says, looking at Chanyeol determinedly. “I like you, you like me— what else is there to test? Why don’t we just go for it?”

“Are you sure?” Sehun can’t count the number of times Chanyeol has asked him that today.

“I just came all over your abs while saying your name, of course I’m sure.”

“Wow,” Chanyeol exhales, leaning back against Sehun’s pillows. “You’re unbelievable, y’know.”

“How so?”

“You… I don’t know how to explain it. You’re so shy and panicky and flustered, but you’re also so sexy and hot when you know what you want,” Chanyeol says. “I like you so much, Sehun.”

“I like you too,” Sehun replies, because he knows that much, at least. “Probably since the day we met.”

Chanyeol looks at him doubtfully. “I thought you liked me ever since that whole perfume bottle thing.”

Sehun hums thoughtfully. “That’s what confirmed it, yeah, but I was attracted to you when I first saw you.”

“You looked like you wanted to kill me for making you drop your things.”

“If you were literally anyone else, I probably would have,” Sehun admits.

“Thank god for my good genes and sparkling personality then,” Chanyeol chuckles. He then raises a hand to card it through Sehun’s hair, pushing the younger’s bangs out of his face. “Come on, tell me what else you like about me.”

“Your dick,” Sehun answers bluntly. “And your arms, and your abs, and your _hands._ God, I love your hands so much.”

“Wanna test them out again?” Chanyeol asks cheekily. “I’m up for a round two if you are.”

The prospect of having sex with Chanyeol not once but twice in one day sends a shot of serotonin straight through Sehun’s brain. He nearly giggles with how happy he is. “Here? Or in the shower?”

“Whatever you want, babe.”

Sehun quirks a playful eyebrow at that. “Babe?”

“I can call you that, can’t I?” Chanyeol grins at him sunnily. “We’re boyfriends now, aren’t we?”

“Boyfriends.” Sehun smiles back, so wide that his cheeks hurt. “And I don’t think I can make it to the shower, so we’re doing it here.”

💥

After revisiting all the Marvel movies, Sehun had taken it upon himself to introduce Chanyeol to the wonderful DC animated universe— which was a lot better than the Marvel movies anyway.

Which brings them to where they are now: huddled together on Sehun's couch bowl of warm popcorn settled between their tangled legs as Batman the Animated series plays in the background.

“This is my favorite episode,” Sehun says, throwing a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

Beside him, Chanyeol chuckles. “You’ve said that for the last three episodes.”

“That's because they all are!” Sehun states. “I'm serious. This show doesn't have a single bad episode.”

“Really?”

“If we're talking about the original Batman the Animated Series that ran from 1992 to 1995 yes,” Sehun replies, his eyebrows pulling together the way they do when he tries to make a point. “The New Batman Adventures show— that's the one from 1997 to 1999 by the way— like yeah it's good, but it's nowhere near as good as the original series even though it's in the same continuity.”

Chanyeol nods attentively; he's kind of confused but like always, he tries his best to follow along. “If it's technically the same show, why isn't it as good as the original?”

Sehun sits up straighter. “Changing the original art style was the biggest mistake; characters like the Joker didn’t look as unnerving as they did in the first seasons, and other designs were simplified to pander to a younger audience. I mean, the show still holds up, but fans don't count it when they talk about the animated series itself, y’know?”

“Uhuh.” Chanyeol doesn't know— Sehun is fully aware of this— but the older man smiles at him anyway; as if Sehun talking so passionately about something was all he needed to know. “Are we still gonna watch it?”

“Of course!” Sehun says. “But the original animated series is better,” he reminds, just in case Chanyeol forgot.

Chanyeol tosses a handful of popcorn into his mouth, watching the scene in front of him with rapt eyes and paying attention to even the smallest of details.

He looks so beautiful, all soft and comfortable cuddled up to Sehun while watching Sehun’s favorite show.

It's more than nice— it’s everything Sehun has ever wanted and even more.

He peels his eyes off the screen for a moment to glance at the TV stand where he displays a few of his Funko Pops.

Among them is Sehun’s Blue Chrome Batman Funko Pop. He hasn't replaced the dented protective case. He didn't even think of doing something like that. How could he toss out the very thing that brought him and Chanyeol together? 

Right next to the Blue Chrome Batman is the very same one Chanyeol got for himself on the day that they met.

Much to Chanyeol’s dismay, Sehun still doesn’t like Iron Man, but Sehun likes Chanyeol and Chanyeol likes Iron Man, so he doesn’t mind stupid Tony Stark standing next to his prized Batman figure.

Noticing that Sehun isn’t paying attention to the fight scene going on, Chanyeol raises an eyebrow. “You still haven't gotten that replaced?”

“Nah.”

“Why not?” Chanyeol asks in confusion. “Won't it look weird next to the rest of your pristine collection?”

“No,” Sehun answers automatically. “It's unique. It makes my whole collection look better.”

“You are such a sap,” Chanyeol teases, pressing a small kiss to Sehun's forehead. “How are you so cute? My Sehun-ah is so sweet, how is this even possible?”

“Oh my god, you are such a loser.” Sehun shakes his head as Chanyeol begins to smother him.

“No, you're a loser.”

“No, you are.”

“You're a bigger loser.”

“You're the biggest loser.”

“I can't be a loser,” Chanyeol says. “I won your heart, didn't I?”

Sehun hits his arm lightly. “You're the worst.”

“And you're the best thing that ever happened to me.” Chanyeol winks. He's impossibly corny— the sweetest and the goofiest dork that Sehun can't help but love.

Sehun can't have it any other way.

💥

“Babe!” comes Chanyeol’s deep voice, audible from the other side of the store. “Babe, come here! Look at this!”

From where he's inspecting a stack of new arrivals, Sehun raises his head to look at his boyfriend. “What is it?”

Chanyeol is holding a decent stack of boxes with one arm. With his other hand, he presents a Superman Funko Pop, holding it high enough for Sehun to see. 

“Look at this one! I saw it near the back and I think you might like it. There aren't any dents or scratches on the box.”

Sehun smiles. He might be a geek, but Chanyeol is the biggest dork he knows.

Sehun doesn’t mind though. He likes it a lot.

He's almost tempted to buy the thing— it's a Target exclusive 278 Deluxe Superman that Sehun already has, but Chanyeol looks so happy about it, Sehun almost can’t bring himself to turn it down.

“I have that back at home,” Sehun says. “It's from the Jim Lee collection.”

“Ah okay.” Chanyeol puts the figure down. He then holds up another box. It’s a glow in the dark Yellow Lantern Batman figure. Number 220 to be precise. “What about this one?”

“I have that one already.”

Chanyeol holds up another one. It’s a San Diego Comic Con 2018 limited edition Red Hood Funko Pop. “What about this?”

“I have that too,” Sehun says. “That’s kinda rare though; it’s a good find.”

Chanyeol visibly brightens, looking very much like a golden retriever. He's so cute, Sehun can’t help but coo. He doesn't know what he's done to deserve a boyfriend like Chanyeol.

“Oh my god, you guys are disgustingly sweet,” remarks Baekhyun from where he had been standing behind the counter for the last twenty minutes. “And here I thought Sehun was bad enough on his own.”

Sehun quirks an eyebrow at him. “Weren’t you the one who wanted me to get a sugar daddy or something?

“Yeah, but I didn't know that you could get this annoyingly affectionate once you got one, Baekhyun snorts.

Chanyeol makes his way closer to them, comfortably leaning against the edge of the counter and snickering at Baekhyun. “You say it’s annoying, I say it’s adorable.”

“Ugh, not you too,” Baekhyun groans at Chanyeol. “Is Sehun treating you well at least?”

Chanyeol and Baekhyun had become good friends ever since the disaster with the perfume bottle happened. The two older men found a mutual joy in talking about music and sharing funny stories about Sehun. They were like a pair of overexcited puppies in that they could never stop chatting and goofing around when they were in a room together.

If he was younger and more sensitive, Sehun would have been jealous of their closeness. He knows he has nothing to worry about though; neither Chanyeol nor Baekhyun would do anything to hurt him. Plus, he’s glad that they got along well. It’s nice having another friend group, even if the only other people in it are his boyfriend and the guy he buys toys every week from.

“He's the best boyfriend,” Chanyeol assures. “You have nothing to worry about.”

Baekhyun looks pleased with that answer. “Good. He's my best customer, it'd be a shame to drive him out for being a bad boyfriend.”

A sudden mischievous expression makes its way to Chanyeol’s face. “Hey, Baekhyun. Has Sehun ever told you about his _other_ toy collection? I don’t think your store has those kinds of toys, but I do know Sehun likes them big and long and— _ow_!” he winces, rubbing his arm after Sehun had smacked it. “That hurts, Sehun-ah.”

“Awwww, poor baby.” Sehun knew he shouldn’t have showed Chanyeol the rest of his sex toys. The last thing he wants is Baekhyun of all people knowing what exactly he shoves into his ass. “Do you want me to kiss it better?”

“Please do.”

“You better not be doing PDA inside my store,” Baekhyun warns them with a grimace. “It scares all the nerds away.”

“On the contrary, I think it’ll attract more customers,” Sehun shrugs. “It might help to show that a nerd like me can get a boyfriend that looks like this.”

“Awww, thanks babe!” Chanyeol preens, leaving down to peck a kiss on Sehun’s cheek.

Baekhyun makes a face. “You guys are so gross.”

“You’re just jealous,” Sehun quips.

“Hell yeah I am,” Baekhyun replies, not even denying it. “How the hell is a brat like you in a loving relationship while I’m not?”

“Because he’s Sehun,” Chanyeol cuts in, giving another sloppier kiss on Sehun’s cheek. “Which means he’s sexy, and handsome, and sweet, and the best boyfriend in the world.”

Chanyeol is clearly dramatizing, but Sehun can’t help but glow under the praise. “Thanks, baby.”

“Ew!” Baekhyun averts his eyes, looking like he would much rather be anywhere but near the couple. “I'm warning you two, one more and I’m banning you both from the store. No one wants to see the two of you making out.”

For shits and giggles, Chanyeol makes a show of circling his arms around Sehun’s waist and giving him an exaggerated kiss on the mouth.

“Alright, that’s it! Get out!” Baekhyun nearly leaps over the counter, looking ready to strangle the two of them for breaking his strict no PDA policy.

Sehun shares a cheeky look with Chanyeol, the two of them giggling like children as Baekhyun shoos them out of the store.

Yeah, he could get used to this.

**Author's Note:**

> [Twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/kittenshixun)
> 
> Kudos and comments are much appreciated!


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